Consultations

Deadline 28^th March

Variations in sex characteristics (VSC), sometimes referred to as ‘intersex’ or ‘differences in sex development’, is an umbrella term used to describe physical sex development which differs from what is generally expected of males or females. These variations are present from birth and may be chromosomal, gonadal, anatomical or hormonal.

Depending on the individual case, these differences may be visible at birth or untraceable until puberty, or even later in life. Research from clinical experts suggests the ‘number of people born with atypical genitalia may be as high as 1 in 300 births, but the birth prevalence of a condition that may lead to true genital ambiguity on expert examination may be as low as 1 in 5000 births.’

The call for evidence is designed for VSC individuals, their parents, carers, and legal guardians, and professionals and service providers to share their views and experiences on:

• Terminology – the terms people prefer using to describe having variations in sex characteristics
• Healthcare – how decisions are made around medical interventions and how healthcare services could be improved
• Education – how people with variations in sex characteristics experience school and how the education system could be improved
• Support services – what support, if any, affected individuals and their families receive and how support services could be improved
• Issues faced in day to day life – people’s experiences of being in the workplace, of claiming benefits and using sport and leisure services
• Sex assignment, birth registration and correcting birth certificates – whether people have changed their birth certificate if the sex was incorrectly assigned at birth and parent’s experiences of registering a child’s birth
• Any other issues they have faced and want to raise

For more information go to the Government website

Deadline 1^st February

This draft quality standard from NICE is open for consultation until 1 February 2019. It includes the proposal that pedestrians, cyclists and those who use public transport should be given priority when new roads are built or upgraded. The final quality standard is expected to be published in June 2019.

For more information go to NICE

Deadline 6^th April

This proposal was set out in Childhood obesity: a plan for action, chapter 2.

This consultation asks what you think about:

1. restricting volume-based price promotions of HFSS food and drink that encourage people to buy more than they need, for example, ‘buy one, get one free’ and free refills of sugary soft drinks
2. restricting the placement of HFSS food and drink at main selling locations in stores, such as checkouts, aisle ends and store entrances

This consultation also seeks your views on:

• which businesses, products and types of promotions should be included in the restrictions
• definitions for HFSS products, price promotions and locations in stores
• how businesses can put this into practice and whether they will face any difficulties

For more information and to take part go to the department for Health and Social Care

Deadline 4^th April

This consultation contains proposals which would strengthen the pensions protections that apply when an employee of a Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) employer is compulsorily transferred to the employment of a service provider.

The proposed amendments to the LGPS Regulations 2013 would, in most cases, give transferred staff a continued right to membership of the LGPS. These changes would bring the LGPS in line with the government’s October 2013 Fair Deal guidance that applies in relation to transfers from central government.

For more information go to the Government website

Deadline 24^th January

Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Mental Capacity (Amendment) [Lords] Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament?

If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.

The intention of the Bill is to reform the process for authorising arrangements which enable people who lack capacity to consent to be deprived of their liberty (for the purpose of providing them with care or treatment).

The new regime created by the Bill would replace the existing authorisation process, known as Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which were introduced in 2009. Those arrangements have attracted significant criticism for being too complex and bureaucratic. Key court judgments have also widened the interpretation of those who should be recognised as having been deprived of their liberty, with significant implications for local authorities and others involved in administering the DoLS scheme.

For more information go to the Parliament website

Deadline 28th February

Environment Secretary Michael Gove hasannounced plans to create greater protections for trees in urban areas.

The proposals would ensure councils can’t cut down street trees without first consulting communities.

The measures reflect the important role trees in towns and cities play in improving our health and wellbeing, as well as providing crucial environmental benefits.

Launching a consultation on a raft of new forestry measures, the Secretary of State unveiled proposals designed to ensure local people have a bigger say over what happens to the trees in their communities.

The proposals include:

• making sure communities have their say on whether street trees should be felled with requirements for councils to consult local residents
• responsibilities on councils to report on tree felling and replanting to make sure we can safeguard our environment for future generations
• giving the Forestry Commission more powers to tackle illegal tree felling and strengthen protection of wooded landscapes

For more information go to the Government website

Deadline 22^nd February

The 5p plastic bag charge will be extended to all retailers and increased to 10p to cut their use further, under plans put forward in a consultation. Currently, the 5p charge applies only to big businesses, but it is estimated over 3.6 billion single-use plastic bags are supplied annually by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Trade bodies representing around 40,000 small retailers have already launched a voluntarily approach to a 5p charge, but this accounts for less than one-fifth of England’s estimated 253,000 SMEs.

The consultation launched today will also explore the possibility of increasing the 5p minimum charge to encourage further behaviour change, potentially doubling it to 10p.

For more information go to the Government website