Agenda item

Bills

Prisons and Courts Bill

The Bill will, amongst other things, pave the way for the extension of the use of video links and 'virtual' court hearings (with consequent implications for the way the Courts' estate is used) and the abolition of local justice areas, which currently substantially govern the disposal of magistrates' courts business.

Statutory Instruments

Date inforce

The Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 155

The Valuation Tribunal for England (Council Tax and Rating Appeals) (Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 156

The Regulations introduce a new ‘check, challenge, appeal’ procedure for making appeals against rating valuations, intended to ensure that only meritorious challenges receive a full hearing.

1 April 2017

The Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 172

The Regulations require employers with more than 250 employees to publish annual information about pay differences between male and female employees. They apply to the Common Council other than in its capacity as a local authority and port health authority (but see S.I. No. 353 below).

6 April 2017

The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Size Criteria) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 213

The Regulations amend the under-occupancy charge (‘bedroom tax’) to provide exceptions where bedrooms are required by overnight carers or severely disabled children, following an adverse court judgment last year.

1 April 2017

The Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 328

The Regulations set out details of the information which public sector employers (including the Common Council) must publish about paid ‘facility time’ afforded to trade union officials for union business, under statutory requirements introduced last year.

1 April 2017

The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 353

The Regulations require public sector bodies to publish annual information about pay differences between male and female employees and about their compliance with the public sector equality duty, and to set public objectives to advance equality aims. They apply to the Common Council in its capacity as a local authority and port heath authority.

31 March 2017

The Rent Repayment Orders and Financial Penalties (Amounts Recovered) (England) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 367

The Regulations specify how local housing authorities (including the Common Council acting in that capacity) are to use proceeds of rent repayment orders or financial penalties issued to private sector landlords under powers introduced last year. The proceeds must be used to meet costs of functions to do with the private rented sector or paid to the Government.

6 April 2017

The Social Security (Restrictions on Amounts for Children and Qualifying Young Persons) Amendment Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 376

The Regulations amend various social security rules, including those on housing benefit, to reflect the two-child limit on tax credits introduced by the Government.

6 April 2017

The Town and Country Planning (Permission in Principle) Order 2017, S.I. No. 402

The Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 403

The Regulations require local planning authorities (including the Common Council acting in that capacity) to establish registers of brownfield land in their areas which is suitable and available for housing development.  The Order grants planning permission in principle for such development.

16 April 2017

The Licensing Act 2003 (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 411

The Regulations amend certain licensing forms in order to reflect recent changes to licensing law, such as the abolition of the need to renew personal licences.

6 April 2017

The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 414

The Regulations amend the PAYE income tax collecting system in order that it can be used to collect the new apprenticeship levy payable by large employers.

6 April 2017

The Childcare (Provision of Information About Young Children) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 461

The Regulations extend the classes of information which early-years childcare providers may be obliged to provide to the Government and local authorities.

1 September 2017

The Local Authorities (Public Health Functions and Entry to Premises by Local Healthwatch Representatives) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 505

The Regulations require ongoing provision by local authorities (including the Common Council acting in that capacity) of ‘health and development assessment and reviews’, carried out by family nurses, to pregnant mothers and children up to the age of 5. They a replace a time-limited duty to like effect.

1 April 2017

The Public Sector Apprenticeship Targets Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 513

The Regulations set out the public sector apprenticeship target for public bodies (including the Common Council in its capacity as a local authority, police authority or port health authority). The target is to employ 2.3% of the workforce as apprentices on average between 2017 and 2021.

31 March 2017

The Local Authorities (Capital Finance and Accounting) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, S.I. No. 536

The Regulations revise elements of the formula used to calculate the proportion of capital receipts from the sale of housing land which local authorities (including the Common Council acting in that capacity) must pay into the Government pool.

1 May 2017