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Local Government Briefing Note 2 of 2013 - Charitable Incorporated Organisations (‘CIOs’) – Available Soon!

The Charities Act 2006 (now the Charities Act 2011) introduced a new form of incorporated charitable entity, the CIO.  There has been a long delay in making CIOs available but their imminent arrival has been heralded by a recent government anno...




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Local Government Briefing Note 1 of 2013 - December 2012 UK Government Announces Future Changes to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (“CRC Scheme”)

Many in local government will already be familiar with the CRC Scheme. This is the UK’s mandatory emissions trading scheme aimed at improving energy efficiency and cutting carbon dioxide emissions in large public and privat...




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Local Government Briefing Note 3 of 2013 - State Aid: Proposed Reform of the Enabling Regulation

The European Commission has announced proposals to amend the Enabling Regulation adopted in 1998. This forms part of the EC’s State Aid Modernisation Initiative. It will allow the EC to focus on larger more...




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Local Government Briefing Note 4 of 2013 - State Aid: Proposed Reform of State Aid Procedures

? The European Commission has announced proposals to amend the Procedural Regulation adopted in 1999. This forms part of the EC’s State Aid Modernisation Initiative and will support quicker decision making and ensure a focus...




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Local Government Briefing Note 5 of 2013 - Equality Act 2010: Technical Guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty

? Recently, the Equality and Human Rights Commission EHRC published detailed technical guidance for those public sector bodies seeking to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). There is separate guidance for Scotland, England and Wales....




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Local Government Briefing Note 6 of 2013 - State Aid Modernisation: proposed amendments to the Enabling and the Procedural Regulations

The European Commission (the "EC") presented two proposals on 5 December 2012, as part of its State Aid Modernisation initiative. The proposals will include amendments to two key State aid instruments, the Enabling Regulation and...




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Local Government Briefing Note 8 of 2013 - Proposed changes to rules for solicitors employed by local authorities

? The Solicitors Regulation Authority has undertaken consultation on proposed changes to the rules for solicitors employed by local authorities.  The SRA is proposing to amend rule 4.15(e) of the Practice Framework Rules, to ...




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Local Government Briefing Note 9 of 2013 - The Administrative Court considers effective and lawful consultation

The court has recently considered the extent of disclosure required to satisfy the obligation of fairness in a consultation exercise in the case of R (on the application of Save our Surgery Limited) v Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts  (&l...




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UK HR Local Government e-briefing - Today's employment law changes; and what else to expect this year

Today’s employment law changes; and what else to expect this year Various changes to employment legislation take effect today, including amendments to whistleblowing laws.  Other changes will follow over coming months. In this briefing we...




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UK Local Government Pensions speedbrief: Local Government Pension Scheme liabilities on academy conversions

Local Government Pension Scheme liabilities on academy conversionsBackground The treatment of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) liabilities on academy conversions has been presenting significant difficulties for some time, with pension liabilit...




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Eversheds Local Government Briefing Note 18 of 2013: Code of Conduct for Operational PFI/PPPs

Code of Conduct for Operational PFI/PPPs HM Treasury recently published a brand new PFI/PPP code of conduct (the ‘Code’) which is aimed at delivering savings in operational PPP contracts. What has been introduced? ...




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Local Government Briefing Note 20 of 2013: Judicial Review: Proposals for further reform

On 1 July 2013, following its consultation Judicial Review: proposals for reform, the Government introduced significant changes to the judicial review process.  The stated aim was to balance the need to ensure lawful public administration with ...




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Scrutiny in Local Government in Wales

A report from the Auditor General for Wales has recommended that Welsh local authorities should implement scrutiny improvement action plans. The recommendation is one of nine recommendations contained in Good Scrutiny? Good Question!, a report of an...




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Local Government Briefing Note 3 of 2015: Deal or No Deal: What's Inside the Red Brief Case

Another year, another budget. So what have we learnt from the contents of the infamous red brief case? Here are some of the highlights for the local government community.             George...




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Local Government Briefing Note 4 of 2015: Cap on care costs and new appeals system - Reforms on the horizon

On 4 February 2015, the government launched a consultation on draft regulations implementing the cap on care costs contained in the Care Act 2014. The consultation also sought views on the need for new appeals system in relation to local authorities...




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Local Government Briefing Note 6 of 2015 - Converting failing schools into Academies - a closer look at the Education and Adoption Bill

Background The Government’s latest proposal in reforming the English schooling system was laid before Parliament last week in the form of the Education and Adoption Bill 2015-16 (“the Bill”). The Bill sets out provisions to conver...




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‘Devolution Revolution’ – Turning Around Local Government

On the 5th October the Chancellor George Osborne, set out the Government's plans to devolve powers from Whitehall to local areas in a bid to stimulate economic growth. The initiative was heralded as the “biggest transfer of power to local gove...




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Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline Update (Autumn 2019) - Government provides update on rail enhancement projects seeking DfT funding

Background On 16 October 2019 the Department for Transport (“DfT”) issued its “Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline Update” for Autumn 2019 (the “Enhancements Pipeline Update”). A copy of the Enhancements Pipeline U...




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UK Government loses case relating to Saudi Arabia arms exports

On 20 June 2019, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that the UK Government’s decision to continue licensing exports of military equipment to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen was unlawful. The judgment comes amidst global concer...




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Government Amends Temporary Tariffs for Lorries, Bioethanol and Clothing Products

On 8 October 2019, the Government announced changes to the UK’s temporary tariff regime for certain products in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Under the proposals, which were first published on 13 March 2019 , the Government intended to introd...




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Coronavirus - German Federal Government plans legislative package to mitigate consequences of COVID-19 - Germany

Changes to the insolvency, civil and criminal procedural law The German Federal Government is currently planning various support measures for entrepreneurs, sole traders, other small, medium and large companies and credit institutions to mitigate t...




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Coronavirus - Government launches Future Fund for high-growth companies - UK

On 20th April, the UK Government announced a £500m “Future Fund”, as part of its package of measures to support businesses in response to the coronavirus.  What is the Future Fund? The Future Fund is being set up with the aim ...




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Afghan Government Releases 1,000 Taliban Members - Security Council

KABUL (Sputnik) - The Afghan government...




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U.K. Government Boosts Bicycling And Walking With Ambitious £2 Billion Post-Pandemic Plan

U. K. transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced emergency funding to enable local authorities to pay for “pop-up” cycling and walking infrastructure to enable physical distancing during lockdown. ......




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Plastic related consultations: Despite Brexit Government continues to focus on plastic waste

One could be forgiven for thinking the UK Government had put its other legislative plans on hold as it seeks to deliver Brexit, but this is not the case. In February we saw the launch of a number of parallel consultations all designed to tackle plas...




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Coronavirus – Finance overview of governmental economic support for industry - UK

Please note that this is a developing situation and we will update this note on a regular basis when further information is available. Across the budget on 11 March 2020 and the subsequent COVID-19 briefing meetings the Chancellor of the Exchequer h...




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Coronavirus - UK Government’s economic assistance packages and their availability to financial services businesses - UK

Background The ongoing coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has quickly developed into a deep economic crisis of the like never experienced before. Many businesses, including those in the financial services sector, are facing a prolonged period of disrupti...




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Coronavirus - Overview of governmental economic support – Global

Please note that further information is expected and we will update this note when this is available. Set out below is a summary of measures that have been announced by governments in various jurisdictions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. ...




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Education briefing - Government’s plans for new immigration system published

The Government has now published a policy statement setting out details of the immigration system which it intends will apply in the UK from 1 January 2021. This follows the report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on 28 January 2020 setting...




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Education briefing: Coronavirus - New Guidance: Government update on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

On Friday 20 March 2020, the Chancellor announced a new “Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme” (the Scheme) to help pay people’s wages. See our previous briefings of 23 March and Full Article



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Breaking down the government’s response to COVID-19

How prepared was Japan for the pandemic, and how well can it medically adapt to the emergency going forward?




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Japanese government, criticized for low testing rates, eases guidelines for seeking virus tests

Anyone with four days of mild cold symptoms is now being encouraged to consult a public health center about getting tested.




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Let government use lockdown to organise city, sectors

On Thursday, this newspaper reported that an inter-ministerial committee was to table before Cabinet a framework paper on a strict post-lockdown transport sector plan where public transport vehicles will face 42 days of extended lockdown in a bid to decongest the city. When approved, the new rules will compel passenger vehicles to be taken for inspection every after six months, at the owner’s cost, and there will be compulsory registration of all boda boda cyclists.




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Farmers deserve government’s biggest support

But this is also the time for us to refocus on farming as a national economic activity. Throughout the lockdown farmers have continued to work in their fields




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Economy: Government should bail out the working poor too

Covid-19: In discussions about resuscitating the economy, the provision of cheap credit to the working poor has hardly featured. Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi explores some of the measures the government can employ to help out this class of businesses.




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Amisom Welcomes the Decision By the Governments of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia to Investigate Plane Crash Incident in Bardale

[Dalsan Radio] The African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families of those who perished in the plane crash of 4th May, 2020. The aircraft which left Baidoa, had six people on board and was approaching Bardale, south of Somalia and 300km northwest of the capital Mogadishu when it crashed.




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Many policy differences to tackle in government talks

Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are meeting in the Department of Agriculture to try to resolve their significant differences on housing, public transport and the environment, writes Sandra Hurley.




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Friday’s Featured Sermon: “Principles for Discernment, Part 1”

The church is currently awash with lamentations on the state of the Christianity. And there are good reasons for that. We see charlatans extorting people on Christian television. We witness professing believers exchanging hostilities on social media. We hear of endless scandals in the pulpit. And we are constantly confronted by competing theological perspectives. It can all seem so overwhelming. But what if we realized there is one fundamental problem fueling all the others?

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Western governments could have made coronavirus plans in January. Why blame others now?

There is a long way to go before the Covid-19 crisis ends. Hong Kong and a few other places seem to have suppressed community transmission. But in much of the world, the virus still claims new victims every day.Some experts believe the global pandemic could continue for another two years before it is brought under control with testing, contact tracing, therapy and perhaps a vaccine.It is hard to see international travel and trade returning to normal anytime this year. Worldwide, unemployment…




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Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu secures backing to form new government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally received the support of a majority of lawmakers to lead a new government on Thursday, paving the way for a controversial power-sharing deal with rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz.Later in the day, Israel’s figurehead president, Reuven Rivlin, assigned Netanyahu the task of forming a government within two weeks, after he received the signatures of 72 lawmakers endorsing the Likud party leader as prime minister.Israel’s parliament, the Knesset,…




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Philippines government orders top broadcaster ABS-CBN to halt operations

The Philippines’ top broadcaster ABS-CBN on Tuesday was ordered off the air over a stalled operating licence renewal, drawing fresh charges that authorities were cracking down on press freedom.Since running afoul of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, the media powerhouse has seen bills to extend its franchise languish in Congress as the leader repeatedly attacked ABS-CBN in speeches.Duterte is notorious for tangling with media outlets critical of his policies, sparking concern that press…




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From Hong Kong to Britain, governments ranked poorly for their response to Covid-19

As governments across the world scramble to roll out containment plans to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a survey has found most people are unimpressed with their leaders’ responses to the pandemic.Political leaders from China, Vietnam and New Zealand were ranked highly by their citizens in the survey of 23 economies, scoring 86, 82 and 67 respectively while those in France, Hong Kong and Japan came in last, scoring 14, 11 and 5.When it came to overall scores – a measure taking into…




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Australian government push to tap China market heats up industry debate about over-dependence

Australia’s economy has become too reliant on China as a result of a government push for domestic industry to maximise exports to the world’s second largest economy, industry submissions to a government inquiry say.Business groups also singled out Australian government policies, including management of bilateral relationships with Indonesia and India, as hurting access to alternative markets.While some Australian export industries are not reliant on demand from China, companies like those in…




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Malaysian politics heats up with Mahathir’s no-confidence vote against Muhyiddin‘s ‘back-door government’

Malaysia’s politics took another dramatic turn on Friday ahead of its first parliamentary sitting in months as the speaker of the house accepted a motion by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to launch a no-confidence vote against his replacement, Muhyiddin Yassin.Mahathir, however, has conceded that he does not believe he has the numbers required to command the majority support of parliament, claiming that Muhyiddin had won over supporters by giving them government roles. “Maybe we will…




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Malaysia’s Mahathir, Anwar say Muhyiddin’s government doesn’t have mandate to rule

Malaysia’s on-again-off-again political partners Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim said “it’s time” to restore an election mandate that they won two years ago, issuing a statement together for the first time since internal bickering in February led to the collapse of their ruling coalition. The two leaders – now in the opposition – said the current government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin wasn’t the choice of voters at ballot boxes and does not have a mandate to rule. The statement…




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To serve, not steal time: promises of efficient government offices

Prague Daily Monitor

The Czech political parties are promising more efficient offices, mainly through digitalization. The proposed law for a faster and more effective state originally came from the Starostové a nezávislí party (STAN). Since then ANO and ČSSD have pledged to fulfill the goals of the Digital Česko plan. ODS and the Pirates also have digitalization as part of their platform.

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Coronavirus: Uniqlo and H&M manufacturer making reusable masks for Hong Kong government in Vietnam

The production of reusable masks for all Hongkongers was not for profit, a government official said as she revealed the manufacturer’s identity and defended the lack of a public tender for the project worth hundreds of millions of dollars.Annie Choi Suk-han, permanent secretary of the Innovation and Technology Bureau, said most of the masks were being made by Crystal International Group at a facility in Vietnam.The rest were assembled, disinfected and packed using three local facilities offered…




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Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s High Court tosses Pakistan returnee’s challenge to mandatory quarantine at government facility

The High Court has thrown out a Hong Kong resident’s challenge to his quarantine status, dismissing his application for a writ of habeas corpus over his mandatory isolation at a government-run facility.Accountant Syed Agha Raza Shah, who tested negative for Covid-19 upon his return, was sent to the Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan for a 14-day stay after returning from Pakistan via Qatar with about 200 other Hong Kong residents on April 29.On Thursday, he applied for a writ of habeas corpus…




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Coronavirus: Hong Kong start-ups that raced to make masks relook plans, as government announces handouts for all households

After almost three months of hectic preparation, Denis Huen Yin-fan’s Hong Kong factory started delivering masks to customers last week to help protect them against the Covid-19 pandemic.Just as the supplies began reaching his clients, the Hong Kong government announced it will be distributing reusable and disposable masks to all households, free of charge, within weeks.Every household will receive reusable masks that can be washed up to 60 times, as well as a pack of 10 disposable masks.1.5…




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Coronavirus: Hong Kong records no new cases, as government adviser suggests easing border restrictions with Macau

Hong Kong recorded zero new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, as a government adviser suggested that border control measures between the city and Macau could be the first to be lifted.It was also the 20th day in a row without any local infections, although a handful of imported cases over the past week had taken Hong Kong’s tally to 1,044 with four related deaths.Health experts earlier raised the prospect of Hong Kong being declared free of local transmission if there were no such cases after 28 days…