Consultations
WAG: Health Minister Lesley Griffiths is seeking views (by 31 January 2012) on how cosmetic piercing can be made safer for young people. The Welsh Government is proposing to introduce an age of consent to ensure a parent or guardian’s permission is granted before a person below the age of 16 can receive a cosmetic piercing.
ScotGov: Councils are to receive new powers to tax empty homes that could help raise millions to build new affordable houses. The Council Tax on Empty Homes and Housing Support Grant Bill proposals (consultation closes on 10 January 2012) could apply to the 25,000 properties that have currently been empty for more than 6 months and are liable to pay council tax.
If all local authorities decide to use the maximum powers, they could raise up to £30m p.a. to spend on much-needed affordable homes in Scotland. The bill will also abolish the Housing Support Grant, which was originally established to subsidise local authorities' housing budgets by helping pay interest on housing debts.
Press release & links ~ Council Tax on Long-Term Empty Properties & the Housing Support Grant Consultation
NICE: In preliminary recommendations published recently by NICE, exenatide prolonged release suspension for injection (Bydureon, Eli Lilly) is recommended in triple therapy regimens (in combination with metformin and a sulphonylurea, or metformin and a thiazolidinedionei) as a treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes, when control of blood glucose remains or becomes inadequate. Closing date for comments is Tuesday 8 November at 5.00pm.
FRC: A consultation proposing the refocusing & streamlining of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has been launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the FRC recently. The aim of the reforms is to create an FRC that is clearer about its role & purpose, proportionate in the execution of that purpose and in a strong position to promote the highest standards of corporate reporting, governance and auditing.
Responses to the consultation are invited by 10 January 2012. The intention is to implement the changes, guided by the responses to the consultation, in April 2012.
