£2 Million For Veterans' Mental Health Services
£2m of new funding to help improve mental health services and access to the best possible NHS services in England for Armed Forces veterans was announced by Health Minister Mike O’Brien today. More
£40M boost for end of life care
People nearing the end of their lives will benefit from better quality care, more dignity and more privacy, thanks to a £40 million Department of Health grant. Care Services Minister Phil Hope today announced the 123 hospices that will benefit from the funds. More
As from May 1st 2010 the CBT has become more accessible to businesses large and small. This is due to new flat rate subscription fee introduced of £169 +vat for all businesses no matter the size. Till now the CBT has not made any changes to the subscription structure or fees since January 2007 and this change will level all subscriptions.
Top of page
For the first
time employees will have the right to request
time for study or training after legal changes
come into effect today.
Time to Train will give workers in businesses
which employ more than 250 people the legal right
to request time off to take up relevant training.
The right will be made available to all employees
from April 2011. This phased approach will give
smaller organisations and businesses more time to
prepare for the introduction of the new right.
Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said:
“We need to empower people to speak about
training opportunities and the benefits they can
bring to a business’ success.
“Many companies and organisations are very
good at training their staff, but we need to make
sure that all businesses are advising employees
on what is on offer.
“This is where a regulation like Time to
Train will be able to help people. It will give
them the confidence to ask about training and
skills, allowing them to take control of their
own careers.”
The legal right will allow employees to request
time to undertake relevant study or training that
employers are required to consider seriously. The
training should improve the employee’s
effectiveness in their job and contribute to
improved business performance and productivity.
Employers are not obliged to approve every
request - they can be turned down if there is a
good business reason to do so.
The legislation was included in the
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning
Act, which received Royal Assent in November
2009.
Guidance for employers on the new right was
published in January and is available through
Business Link. Guidance for employees has been
made available on the DirectGov
website.
Top of page
£2m of new
funding to help improve mental health services
and access to the best possible NHS services in
England for Armed Forces veterans was announced
by Health Minister Mike O’Brien today.
The investment forms part of the Department of
Health’s ongoing commitment to provide high
quality, tailored, health and social care to
Armed Forces veterans and those preparing to make
the transition from military to civilian life,
working closely with voluntary sector partners.
The £2 million will fund:
• Up to 15 Community Psychiatric Nurses (or
Veterans Therapists) to work in Mental Health
Trusts alongside specialist Combat Stress teams
to forge better links between the two and
enabling more veterans to be treated closer to
their homes and families;
• Combat Stress to join forces with The
Mental Health Helplines Partnership – so
that their helpline can be accessed 24 hours a
day by veterans needing advice and support; ;
• Improved education and training for GPs to
help them identify veterans suffering from mental
health problems, providing them with the
information and skills to ensure that veterans
get the best possible treatment; and
• Working with Combat Stress and the Royal
British Legion to ensure veterans themselves are
aware of the range of support available to them,
building upon our existing efforts to promote
services available from the NHS and from the
service charities and organisations.
Health Minister Mike O'Brien said:
"The brave men and women who have given so much
for their country deserve the very best health
care. That is why we are already working closely
with service charities and the Ministry of
Defence to ensure that veterans' health needs are
better met. The NHS’s high quality mental
health services are the best place to ensure
veterans get the treatment they need.
“This new funding will mean even further
improvements for veterans and will ensure they
can access mental health services more easily,
whenever they need them.”
Wing Commander David Hill, Chief Executive of
Combat Stress said:
“We know from over 90 year’s
experience that Veterans want to be treated
alongside their peers and by organisations that
understand Service-related psychological injury.
Today’s announcement is a very welcome
further step to ensure that Veterans have
improved access to a choice of appropriate
services, with the long term aim of reducing the
average 14 year time lag that it takes for
Veterans to seek help for psychological illness
after leaving the Armed Forces.”
Today’s announcement builds on a package of
measures set out in January this year together
with the MOD, to improve support for the
increased number of Armed Forces personnel who
have received serious injuries such as loss of
limb or brain injuries whilst on active service.
This included new arrangements to ensure that the
transition into NHS care for seriously injured
personnel and for all veterans is as smooth as
possible and that they receive an early and
comprehensive assessment of their current as well
as ongoing needs.
That package also set out that all veterans will
be entitled, where clinically appropriate, to the
same level of prosthesis from the NHS as they
would have got from Defence Medical Services.
Last week we announced that we are making up to
£10m of funding over five years available for
research into the affects of acute trauma and
physical or psychological rehabilitation.
Contacts
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above
department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Top of page
People nearing
the end of their lives will benefit from better
quality care, more dignity and more privacy,
thanks to a £40 million Department of Health
grant. Care Services Minister Phil Hope today
announced the 123 hospices that will benefit from
the funds.
The funds will improve care for patients and
families by enhancing and equipping hospice
environments, and by supporting hospices’
work with care homes and caring for people in
their own homes. This could include installing
specialist bathing apparatus, improving gardens
to enable patients to spend time outdoors, or
large scale refurbishments.
The funding was committed as part of the
Department of Health’s End of Life Care
Strategy to provide high quality care for all
adults approaching the end of their life,
launched in July 2008. The projects will begin in
April 2010 and will be completed by 31 March
2011.
Care Services Minister Phil Hope said:
“Whether it’s being able to take time
out in the garden or having a hoist that enables
you to move with more dignity, the physical
environment directly impacts on people’s
care.
“This grant will help hospices care for
people's physical, emotional and social needs. It
will support families and carers by providing
welcoming spaces that promote dignity and
respect.
“We know that improving the caring
environment is something that is very important
to people. Today I am delighted to be able to
make that a reality.” David Praill, Help
the Hospices Chief Executive, said:
“Local hospices play a central role in the
delivery of end of life care and we warmly
welcome these new funds.
"Although hospice care is more than just a
building – with many services being
provided in people’s homes – the
building itself gives hospice care an important
physical presence in the community. "This grant
will make a huge difference to the quality of
hospice environments. The funds will enhance
living spaces and equip hospices with some of the
practical tools to meet the wide ranging needs of
people with life limiting and terminal illness
and their friends and
family.”
Top of page
The new system
for allocating government funding to further
education and training in England comes into
effect today, following a transition period over
recent months.
The Skills Funding Agency will fund and regulate
adult further education and skills in England.
There will be four direct routes into training
for employers and learners – Train to Gain,
the National Apprenticeship Service and the Adult
Advancement and Careers Service, as well as
further education colleges and training
organisations.
Further Education and Skills Minister Kevin
Brennan said:
“It has never been more important to make
sure the right people have the right skills to
get into new industries and get on in their
careers.
“This new flexible system will drive
forward development of new skills at all levels.
It will respond to changing demand from employers
and learners in the years ahead, and reinforce
the freedom of colleges to direct funding to
where it is needed most.
“Anyone who wants to get access to some of
the fantastic training available should simply
get in touch with their local college.”
Establishment of this new system follows
publication of the Skills for Growth strategy
last year and Royal Assent being granted to the
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning
Act in November 2009.
Under the Act, local authorities will take on
responsibility for securing education and
training for all 16 to 19 year olds.
Today also sees the Young People’s Learning
Agency taking up its responsibilities in 16 to
19-year-old provision, working with Government
and local authorities to help develop and deliver
their vision and plans for young people's
learning
Young People’s Minister Iain Wright said:
“The Young People’s Learning Agency
will play a pivotal role in the commissioning of
high quality provision for young
people.”
Top of page
New guidance to
make sure that companies who dig up the road
replace it properly - reducing the risk of
potholes forming - was published today by
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan.
It is estimated that poorly replaced road
surfaces mean there are around 90,000 remedial
works each year, adding inconvenience to
motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
The revised Code of Practice published today sets
out new methods to provide better quality road
surfaces, reducing the chances of potholes
developing as well as cutting down the risk that
the road will have to replaced a second time.
Today's announcement is part of a package of
measures set out by the Government over the last
nine months to reduce disruption caused by road
works. These include proposals to increase by
tenfold the charges for companies whose works
overrun, to improve signage and protection of
sites and for a tougher street works inspection
regime. In addition, the Department has
introduced more rigorous testing and training for
those who dig up the road as well as approving
the first two street works permit schemes - to
help councils coordinate and manage works on
their roads - and publishing guidance to help
other councils put these schemes in place.
Sadiq Khan said:
"Since becoming Transport Minister last year I
have made tackling disruption caused by road
works a priority. I have set out plans to
increase penalties for late running works tenfold
and proposed strict new rules to ensure that work
sites are properly signed and protected.
"The new Code of Practice I am publishing today
will ensure that when utilities dig up the road
they replace it properly - reducing disruption as
well as the probability of potholes developing."
Last week the Government announced £100 million
extra funding for local councils to repair damage
to their roads as a result of the severe weather
this winter. This builds on the trebling of
funding to local authorities over the last 10
years for road maintenance from £265m in 2000-01
to £809m in 2010/11.
The new guidance streamlines the process of
getting new materials approved for use and gives
advice to contractors on using sustainable
working methods such as using more recycled
materials when relaying road surfaces. This
should lead to an increase in recycled materials
being used and so reduce carbon emissions
associated with road works.
A consultation on the new Code of Practice
finished on 23rd November 2009 and the full
document can be found here:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/network/local/streetworks/cop/sroh/
Top of page
A
new task force to advise the Government on how to
ensure small companies are treated fairly and
properly when accessing bank finance was today
launched by the Department for Business.
Enterprise Champion Lord Sugar, outgoing
Federation of Small Business chairman John Wright
and former Lloyd’s TSB deputy chief
executive Mike Fairey will comprise the task
force. They will build on the work Lord Sugar has
been doing with small businesses, Business
Link’s Financial Intermediary Service (FIS)
and the banks.
The task force will advise the Government on the
role and responsibilities of the Small Business
Credit Adjudicator (SBCA) announced in the
Budget. Once established the SBCA will hear
cases, referred by FIS, where a business may have
been unfairly denied credit. The task force will
also hear recommendations on the background,
experience and skills to be considered when
recruiting the independent SBCA, who will be
experienced in banking and business markets.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:
“Lord Sugar, Mike Fairey and John Wright
have decades of experience in banking, business
and enterprise. They understand the critical
importance of new finance and credit flow to the
growth of small, innovative companies.
“This Government has worked tirelessly to
help small businesses access the finance they
need. However there is a perception among small
business owners that banks are unfairly denying
them credit. This task force will help us
understand the root of these concerns.”
The task force will meet bank and small
businesses to discuss financing and credit issues
to establish the responsibilities of the SBCA. It
will produce a consultation document to be
published in the summer, which will advise on
options to establish the SBCA.
The consultation will consider potential powers
and sanctions for the SBCA. Options will include
powers to demand bank information and penalties
such as naming and shaming banks found to have
denied credit unfairly.
The SBCA will work in conjunction with Business
Link’s Financial Intermediary Service. The
FIS offers free and independent advice to viable
business struggling to gain access to finance. It
facilitates discussion between the bank and the
business if FIS believes the bank’s
decision should be re-considered.
Once the SBCA has been established FIS will be
able to refer such cases to the Credit
Adjudicator if they believe the business has been
treated unfairly.
Government lending and survey data shows that the
majority of the UK’s Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) who require finance are able
to access it, and currently at prices lower than
two years ago. Around three quarters of small
businesses obtain finance from their first
source, consistent with approval rates for loans
and overdrafts in excess of 75 per cent.
However the perception of a shortage of credit
for small businesses remains in place and there
have been small but important cases where viable
businesses have been turned down. The Small
Business Credit Adjudicator aims to address that
issue.
The Government has put in place a number of
significant measures to ensure that SMEs –
the lifeblood of British business – have
the support they need to grow. Real help offered
to businesses through the difficult economic
period include the Enterprise Finance Guarantee,
the ‘Time to Pay’ tax deferral scheme
and free Business Link Health Checks.
The Department for Business welcomes views from
interested parties. Before the consultation round
suggestions and information can be sent to
SBCA@bis.gsi.gov.uk.
Top of page
Reducing energy
use and incentivising small-scale electricity
generation across Britain.
The introduction today of two carbon cutting
Government incentive schemes will see homes and
businesses playing a key role in contributing to
UK emissions reductions of at least 34% on 1990
levels by 2020 through improved energy efficiency
and small-scale low-carbon electricity.
The Government’s Carbon Reduction
Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) for
organisations and Feed in tariffs (FITs) will
help to save money on fuel bills, reduce carbon
emissions and generate their own low-carbon
electricity.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change,
Ed Miliband, said:
“From today the rewards for businesses and
householders who act to cut their carbon
emissions really start to pay off. It’s no
longer simply about doing the right thing for the
environment, it’s now a sure-fire financial
investment.
“The UK is leading the way in tackling
climate change. Organisations and householders
can play a central role in leading the move to a
low carbon economy whilst saving money on their
energy bills.”
The offering to business – CRC Energy
Efficiency Scheme
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme launched today
aimed at saving public and private sector
organisations around £1billion per year by 2020
through cost effective energy efficiency measures
that are not yet being taken up.
The aim of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is to
help change behaviour and will require large
public and private sector organisations like
supermarkets, hotels, hospitals, local
authorities and central government departments,
to improve their energy efficiency.
Participants’ performance will be published
in the form of a league table. All revenue raised
from the sale of emissions allowances will be
recycled back to participants with those who have
increased efficiency receiving more of this
money. Customers, clients and competitors will
also to see that their organisation is a leader
in tackling climate change. They will be able to
generate further income from selling any unused
permits.
Though the scheme officially launches today
organisations have until September to register.
Businesses can start saving on their bills
immediately through implementing cost effective
energy efficiency measures. By 2020 the scheme is
expected to have delivered emissions savings of
at least 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change and
the Environment Agency, which will be running the
scheme, has hosted more than 115 events to raise
awareness about the scheme as well as running
regional workshops and speaking events.
The offering to consumers - FITs
Individuals, organisations or businesses in
England, Wales and Scotland who install low
carbon electricity generation could benefit from
FITs: • They will be paid money for every
unit of electricity they generate. • They
will get an extra 3 pence/kWh for every unit they
don’t use that is exported to the grid.
• They can also benefit from a reduced
electricity bill where they use the electricity
that they generate rather than having to buy all
they need from the grid.
A typical 2.5kW, well sited solar PV Installation
could offer savings of £140 a year plus earnings
of £900 a year.
In addition to providing a contribution to
meeting the 2020 Renewable Energy Target, the
FITs will enable broad participation of
individuals and communities in the shift towards
a low carbon economy.
The feed-in tariff is a win-win for consumers.
They will be paid for any electricity they
generate themselves from low carbon sources and
benefit from a cheaper electricity bill.
In Summary
Significant progress has already been made since
the Low Carbon Transition Plan was published in
July 2009, including in the key sectors of power
generation, buildings and industry, and
transport. The Government’s legally-binding
‘carbon budgets’ push the pace of
change. UK emissions are already 22% down on 1990
levels. By 2020 they must be 34% less, on the way
to 80% less by 2050.
Government is also setting an example, it is on
course for reducing emissions from central
Government offices by over 17% by 2011, exceeding
the original target of 12.5%. It aims to save up
to £300 million through energy saving measures
across the public sector.
Top of page
Business
Minister Ian Lucas has taken decisive steps to
ensure confidence in the pre-packaged
administration sale process with a range of
possible new measures aimed at making the system
more open.
He was reacting to an Insolvency Service
report[1] issued 19 March which revealed that in
a third of cases, insolvency practitioners were
failing to fully comply with the industry’s
own rules on transparency.
In a consultation launched today (31 March), the
Minister puts forward options including
strengthening the laws surrounding the use of
‘pre-packs’. He is also seeking views
on automatic scrutiny of all
‘pre-packs’ by the Official Receiver,
a trusted and independent public official.
Ian Lucas said:
“Pre-packs are a good option for companies
in difficulty as they can preserve value and
jobs. But if business and the general public are
to trust the process, it must be transparent.
“That was why rules were introduced a year
ago to ensure prompt and valuable information was
given to creditors. But this is still not
happening in all cases.
“So today I am putting forward a range of
possible measures designed to ensure that
pre-packs are not only being used responsibly and
appropriately but, crucially, are also seen to be
doing so.”
The consultation also includes proposals on
possible conflicts of interest, such as whether
or not the person advising on a pre-pack should
go on to become the administrator and whether
court or creditor approval should be required for
pre-pack deals involving connected parties.
The consultation can be found at the Insolvency
Service website and closes on 24 June
2010.
Top of page
The Government
today announced a new service, which will
increase accessibility to the State Pension for
those approaching retirement by making the
application process available online, from the
summer.
State Pension
Online (SPOL) is an online service, currently
being tested with customers who are about to
retire, that will allow individuals to enter
their details via a secure website rather than
having to make their claim over the phone. A
similar online service for Jobseekers Allowance
is already operating successfully.
Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing
Society, Angela Eagle said;
“Modernising services to increase efficient
delivery and accessibility for our customers is
important. Enabling customers to apply for their
State Pension online will make it easier for them
to access their pensions, whilst increasing
efficiency and saving the taxpayers’
money.”
SPOL is expected to go live to the public this
summer and is the latest in a line of initiatives
from the DWP to provide better services for
customers. Between 0.5 million and 0.75 million
citizens retire each year and will benefit from
the service when it launches.
Utilising the internet more efficiently is only
part of the Department’s approach to
service modernisation. We are also piloting the
use of text messaging to remind customers about
their appointments with us, allowing us to avoid
more of the cost of missed appointments.
Applications for the iPhone and other smart
phones are also being developed to aid
identification of suitable job vacancies based on
a customer’s profile.
From 1st April jobseekers can log onto Directgov,
to access thousands of job vacancies. Directgov
is the Government’s single point of access
to public sector services, and from tomorrow it
will host all the information previously found on
the Jobcentre Plus website. People can log on to
www.direct.gov.uk to find job-related
information, practical help and support such as
searching online for a job, calculate what
benefits they may be entitled to, and how to
claim Jobseeker’s Allowance. The website
also includes a ‘job kit’ which
explains how to prepare for an interview or how
to identify strengths and skills.
The DWP is committed to making £550m worth of
efficiency savings through a range of measures
including more effective use of IT and making
more services available
online.
Top of page
Government today
called on employers to do more to promote
flexible working, as it published its response to
the Family Friendly Taskforce report.
Taking forward the taskforce’s
recommendations, Ministers will promote flexible
working across the public sector and new Cabinet
Office guidance will mean that there will be a
presumption that all jobs should be advertised as
available for flexible or part-time working
unless there is a good business case why this
isn’t possible. Yvette Cooper also
announced that Government will appoint a
taskforce of business leaders and business
organisations to champion the case for flexible
working in the private sector.
To help encourage more businesses to offer
flexible jobs next year, Jobcentre Plus will
implement computer changes which will mean every
time a new vacancy comes into a Jobcentre –
the employer will be automatically asked if it
can be part time, job share or flexible.
Recognising that employers need more help to
realise the benefits of flexible working to their
business, Yvette Cooper pledged that Government
would offer more support and that her own
Department for Work and Pensions would lead the
way in making job vacancies available on a part
time and flexible basis.
Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions said: “Many parents can feel torn
between working and being able to spend enough
time with their children. Helping people into
jobs, which also meet the needs of their family,
is a really important way to tackle poverty and
help parents build a better life for their
children.
“There aren’t enough quality
part-time or flexible jobs available to parents
at the moment and I am determined that, starting
with my own Department, Government works with
business so that we can make sure there are
enough opportunities out there for parents who
want to work."
Ministers believe that increasing the
availability of quality flexible and part-time
jobs will be crucial for the recovery as it will
stimulate more jobs, help parents off benefits
and will give them the opportunity to work,
continue their careers and balance the needs of
their family too.
The Government has also published Think Fathers:
How flexible working for Dads can work for your
business, a collection of case studies of how
businesses large and small across many different
sectors have implemented flexible working and
reaped the benefits. It provides some top tips to
employers on how they can do the same in their
own businesses.
Children & Families Minister Dawn Primarolo
said: "We want to do all we can to help parents
find employment and stay employed. Research tells
us this remains the best route out of poverty for
families, but for families to be able to do this;
we need business to play their part. Family
friendly working practice should be at the heart
of every organisation. My own department is
committed to flexible working and has really seen
the benefits of supporting those with caring
responsibilities in their careers. “We know
that fathers can find it particularly difficult
to juggle the responsibilities of work and
family. We are publishing the Think Fathers guide
to highlight to business and industry the
benefits of incorporating flexible
family-friendly policies into their company. The
guide was created by business for business and I
hope companies use it to inform and even revise
their employment policies and to make it easier
for mums and dads to strike the right balance
between work and family life."
Business Minister Pat McFadden said:
“The right to request flexible working has
been a real success. As we consider the future we
should make sure it continues to work well for
both employees and employers”.
Maria Eagle, Deputy Minister for Women and
Equality, said:
"Families are the framework of our lives and
matter not just to individuals but to our
communities, the economy, and society as a whole.
Mothers often tear their hair out trying to
balance earning a living with bringing up their
children and need more flexibility at work and
fathers want to be able to play a bigger part in
bringing up their children. We will continue to
work with business to ensure that parents
continue to have real choices about how they live
their lives, at the same time as making the
economy strong and competitive.”
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
established the Taskforce to bring together a
range of experts from business, organisations
that represent businesses, employees and
families, non-government bodies and government
departments to provide an expert perspective on
flexible working practices.
For background:
- The Family Friendly Working Hours Taskforce was
set up by Yvette Cooper as part of the White
Paper “Building Britain’s recovery
(December 2009)”, in which the Department
for Work and Pensions fully recognised its part
in helping and supporting employers to improve
the situation.
- The aim of the Taskforce was to explore the
challenges around improving the availability and
quality of family friendly working practices
– focusing on working hours and patterns
and provide recommendations for change. It is
made up of experts from business, organisations
that represent businesses, employees and
families, non-government bodies and government
departments.
- The Government is committed to working with
employers to promote flexible working practices
in order to help carers, parents, older workers
and others struggling to balance work with other
commitments and its long-term ambition is to
ensure that flexible working practices are
embedded in all businesses across Britain.
Contacts
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above
department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Top of page
Communities
Secretary John Denham today opened the door to a
new era in transparency and innovation by making
it easier for taxpayers to scrutinise how
billions of pounds of their money has been spent.
From today everyone can go to a brand new website
and look at spending in any area of England
simply by clicking on and scrolling over maps. At
the touch of a button it will be clear to see how
taxpayers money was spent locally and by which
public bodies.
The new digital presentation of the Local
Spending Report transfers reams and reams of
inaccessible data previously locked in
spreadsheets into web based formats that local
people can readily interrogate and scrutinise.
This includes information on funding for police,
fire, health and local authorities.
Greater transparency will make it easier to look
right across all the local services in an area
and spot evidence of duplication or waste. It
will help all local authorities to ‘health
check’ whether public money going into the
area is delivering value for money and delivering
the very best services.
Alongside the new website, proposals for
substantially increasing and updating the amount
of information available in the next Local
Spending Report are outlined in a new
consultation paper released today. The
consultation also seeks views on the new
presentation and future direction for these
Reports.
The changes will help ensure local authorities
are well placed to develop a Total Place approach
to services by taking a fundamental look at all
the money going into the area and make the most
of new freedoms and flexibilities the Government
is delivering to improve services whilst
generating savings.
Ministers hope that freeing up this data will
drive innovation and fresh thinking by providing
entrepreneurs, businesses, customers,
professionals and suppliers with the data they
need to identify business opportunities or
problems and come up with new solutions.
Communities Secretary John Denham said:
"Taxpayers have a right to know how their hard
earned money is being spent and better, smarter
data is crucial to driving down costs and
increasing innovation.
"The changes today are about making it easier for
citizens and councils alike to access at the
touch of a button the information they need to
scrutinise and challenge how money is being
spent."
The changes to the way Local Spend Reports are
presented are part and parcel of wider changes
being spearheaded by government to make public
data public.
An independent Local Public Data Panel, led by
Professor Nigel Shadbolt, has been set up by John
Denham to champion the public data agenda at the
local level. It will promote the release of local
public data and information sharing, accelerate
progress in agreeing common standards for data
released into the public sphere, and make local
public services better understood and more
accessible.
Top of page
The Government
today laid new rules in Parliament to protect
borrowers.
These rules
implement the European Consumer Credit Directive
and will come into effect from 1st February 2011.
They will work in conjunction with the Office of
Fair Trading’s irresponsible lending
guidance for lenders which will be published
shortly.
The new rules for unsecured credit agreements
include:
a 14-day window for consumers to cancel credit
agreements without penalty;
lenders will have to assess consumers
creditworthiness before providing a loan;
lenders will have to clearly explain their
products to help consumers make the right
choices;
a right for consumers to make partial early
repayment (this is in addition to the existing
right to repay early in full); and
a standardised information form setting out
important information details for consumers
before they sign a credit agreement.
Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan said:
“These new rules will further strengthen a
culture of responsible lending and borrowing
whilst helping put consumers back in the driving
seat with their finances.
“The balance of power needs to shift back
to consumers and these new rules will help them
make better informed decisions before committing
to any credit agreement.”
Notes to editors:
1. Details of the new rules will be available
from Office for Public Sector Information (OPSI)
towards the end of w/c 5 April
2. The ECCD rules will apply to unsecured credit
agreements up to £60,260. The ECCD regulations
will come into force in the UK as of 1 February
2011.
3. Lenders will have from 30 April 2010 until 31
January 2011 to comply with the new provisions,
but are encouraged to offer consumers the new
rights as early as possible.
4. For more information go to:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/Policies/consumer-issues/consumer-credit-and-debt/consumer-credit-regulation/ec-consumer-credit-directive
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills (BIS) is building a dynamic and
competitive UK economy by: creating the
conditions for business success; promoting
innovation, enterprise and science; and giving
everyone the skills and opportunities to succeed.
To achieve this it will foster world-class
universities and promote an open global economy.
BIS - Investing in our
future.
Top of page
Low carbon rewards launch today to save money for homes and businesses
Reducing energy use and incentivising small-scale electricity generation across Britain. More
CBT DIRECTORY STAR RATINGS
Government emphasises need for transparency in ‘pre-packs’
CBT LOGO:
Online application for state pension by summer
Every employer should champion flexible working – Cooper
Denham – Putting more information in the hands of local taxpayers
New consumer credit rules laid in Parliament
These rules implement the European Consumer Credit Directive and will come into effect from 1st February 2011. More
PLEASE NOTE:
Contact Us
The CBT Terms of
Membership
The new system for allocating government funding to further education and training in England comes into effect today, following a transition period over recent months. More
New rules to help reduce road works
New guidance to make sure that companies who dig up the road replace it properly - reducing the risk of potholes forming - was published today by Transport Minister Sadiq Khan. More
Small Business Credit Adjudicator task force launched
A new task force to advise the Government on how to ensure small companies are treated fairly and properly when accessing bank finance was today launched by the Department for Business. More