Archive for the ‘New Legislation’ Category
Thursday, September 20th, 2007
Health secretary Alan Johnson has called for an investigation of the notion of an ‘opt-out’ system regarding the donation of human organs, it has been reported.
The study is to focus on issues around introducing ‘presumed consent’ – where hospital staff are allowed to assume a deceased individual’s organs can be used for transplant unless the person has specifically stated otherwise.
Nicola Sturgeon, health secretary for Scotland, told the Scotsman that she welcomed the forum for debate to be opened on this topic as a change would be significant and would require the backing of both health professionals and the public if it was to occur.
"I very much share Alan Johnson’s aspiration that organ donation rates in every part of the UK should match the rates in other European countries such as Spain," she added.
Over 800 Scottish individuals are currently on waiting lists for transplants, while only 50 organs were donated in the country last year, reports the publication.
According to the NHS more than 400 people died while waiting for a transplant last year.
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Tuesday, September 18th, 2007
Significant changes to the enduring power of attorney (EPA) will affect 29 million Britons and cost them some £7 billion, according to research from More Than.
From October 1st, the cost of implementing the file will increase to approximately £350 from its present price of around £110 as EPA is replaced by documents called the lasting power of attorney, which are more complex.
Research by the financial services firm indicates that some only 14 per cent of consumers have an EPA in place while two-thirds of British adults have family members who would depend on them to manage fiscal affairs should they be unable to do so.
This leaves some 25 million people with no provision for the occurrence of such an incident.
Head of law at More Than Simon Logan commented: "An EPA allows you to give others the legal ability to manage your affairs if you ever become unable to manage them yourself or communicate your wishes."
He added that it was "astonishing" that the majority of consumers do not have one.
Paladin Financial Services recently stated that having an up-to-date will helps with the process of estate division upon death.
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Friday, July 20th, 2007
A summer road safety campaign in Scotland is seeing all drivers stopped for minor offences breathalysed, according to reports.
It is common practice for all drivers involved in an accident or suspected of being over the limit to take the test, but for a two-week period police officers have been directed to breathalyse all drivers stopped, the Scotsman reports.
Those stopped include drivers speeding, those failing to wear a seatbelt or having a faulty vehicle.
"Police forces across Scotland are always vigilant to drink-driving, but this campaign means you’re more likely than ever to be stopped, breathalysed and prosecuted," said John Vine, Tayside’s chief constable.
The increase in testing has been implemented in response to an increase in figures for drink driving in Scotland over the winter, the BBC has stated.
Penalties for drink driving include a ban of at least 12 months and additional fines or possibly a jail sentence.
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Friday, July 6th, 2007
Millions of people are set to learn today that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has requested taxes of them that they did not owe.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has established that errors in processing at the HMRC has led to overpayments of £157 million during the last year, the Herald reports
Meanwhile, HMRC has published a consultation paper calling for powers to take payment directly from bank accounts as well as the ability to require payment from the sale of land or property of non-paying individuals or businesses.
The NAO’s findings suggest that around 500,000 people have been undercharged in the last year, while around 540,000 were overcharged by an average of £290.
Meanwhile, VNUnet.com reports that the institution intends to invest £156 million over the next five years in an IT programme intended to increase calculation accuracy.
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Friday, June 22nd, 2007
An ongoing housing shortage in Scotland has prompted policymakers to relax planning laws in the country, it has been announced.
In an attempt to bolster economic growth, a taskforce is to be established which will focus on land supply and planning issues as a means of providing an increase in the number of homes.
In news likely to be welcomed by the housebuilding industry, ministers announced a review of current laws in a bid to increase economic competitiveness yesterday.
The taskforce is set to be headed up by communities minister Stewart Maxwell, the Scotsman reports.
He asserted that the plans for housing would "require a huge injection of funding from the public purse – an increase on current spending levels of £750 million over the next three years".
Last week Annie Johnstone, writing in the Herald, asserted that housing should be higher on the agenda in Scotland, while noting that the issue was mentioned 23rd – and last – on deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s list of jobs in the housing and wellbeing portfolio.
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Thursday, June 21st, 2007
Scotland’s commissioner for children and young people Kathleen Marshall is calling for a change in legislation which would ban the smacking of children in the country.
She was speaking at a conference being held in Edinburgh to evaluate potential legal reforms which would provide children with legal protection from assault similar to that which applies to adults.
And one of Scotland’s most senior police officers, detective chief superintendent John Carnochan, has expressed his support for the change.
The head of Scotland’s violence reduction unit, Mr Carnochan has suggested that outlawing smacking could "stem the trajectory of violence" which affects the country.
He told the Scotsman: "Stopping parents smacking their children has the ability to change the whole culture of Scotland."
The existing Criminal Justice Act 2003 allows for "justifiable assault" but makes illegal striking children on the head, shaking them or hitting them with an implement, such as a cane.
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Friday, June 15th, 2007
A proposal to change drink-driving laws could see drivers being over the alcohol limit after a single drink.
Plans being considered to lower the alcohol level above which you cannot legally drive have gained the support of road safety minister Dr Stephen Ladyman.
Should the proposals become law, it would bring the legal driving limit down from 80 mg per 100 ml of blood to 50 mg, in line with other European countries.
The plans are set to be detailed in a consultation paper to be published later this year.
Dr Ladyman asserted: "I think it will happen. The consultation will include lowering the limit. It depends on how quickly we get enforcement at 80 mg.
"If you go to 50 mg before you have effective enforcement at 80 mg, people will just ignore the 50 mg level."
Meanwhile, Sir Willie Rae, chief constable of Strathclyde and one of Scotland’s most senior officers, has criticised cheap drink promotions, citing them as partly culpable for a marked increase in violent domestic crimes, the Herald has reported.
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Friday, June 8th, 2007
Britain’s criminal justice system is ‘creaking at the seams’ as a result of legislative changes effected by the labour government.
Such is the opinion of the shadow attorney general, Dominic Grieve, who made his comments to Sky News this week.
He was responding to a claim by justice secretary, Lord Falconer, that there was more money in the criminal justice system at present than there has ever been before.
Mr Grieve commented: "I think we need to look very closely at what the drivers are of raising costs in the criminal justice system.
"The government, for instance, has a growing budget in respect of legal aid."
He stated that rather than lawyers soaking up legal aid funding, the driver of heightened costs was an increase in pieces of criminal justice legislation resulting in more representations in court.
Mr Grieve has been vocal in his support of grammar schools in recent days, writing in his local paper that such institutions should be built "on demand".
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