Tag Archives: political

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News story: Civil news: change of Specialist Quality Mark administrator

New Specialist Quality Mark administration contract starts in tandem with small changes to audit process.

A new administrator will be responsible for delivering work for the Specialist Quality Mark (SQM) from 1 April 2017. The work will in future be carried out by Recognising Excellence and there will be a small number of changes to the audit process.

The current contract with SQM Delivery Partnership ends on 31 March 2017.

What does this mean for providers?

  1. Starting 1 April 2017 audits should be booked by emailing: sqm@recognisingexcellence.co.uk.
  2. Audit award process will have fewer stages.
  3. Increase in requirements at the pre-quality mark stage.

More details are available on our ‘quality standards’ page on GOV.UK – see link below.

Requirement for contract-holders

It is a requirement for legal aid contract holders to hold either the SQM or the equivalent Lexcel accreditation. This will continue for anyone wanting to deliver services under the new civil contracts in 2018.

We confirmed this requirement would remain when we announced on 20 January 2017 that a procurement process for these contracts would start in April 2017.

Accreditation valid after 31 March 2017

All organisations with SQMs valid after 31 March 2017 should check they have a copy of their certificate.

If you are unable to find your current SQM certificate, you may request a copy from the outgoing audit provider, SQM Delivery Partnership. Such requests must be made before 31 March 2017.

Further information

Legal Aid Agency quality standards – to find out more about the standards and new administration arrangements

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HM Government • • •

Rowley: We must use tax powers to make Scotland a fairer place

By Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley | February 20, 2017

By Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley

Tuesday will be a historic day in Scotland’s devolution story.

For the first time, the Scottish Parliament will decide how to raise, as well as spend, money.

We have a chance to choose a different path from the Tories.

For Scottish Labour, that means turning our backs on austerity and delivering a progressive budget. We would use the new tax powers of the Scottish Parliament to make sure the richest in society pay their fair share.

That would mean raising the top rate of tax for those on £150,000 a year or more to 50p.

Scottish Labour would also change income tax levels by just 1p more than the Tory Chancellor Philip Hammond. With the extra money raised, we would invest in valued local services such as schools and care for the elderly that face being decimated under the SNP.

Nicola Sturgeon might have spent her career in politics arguing for more powers for the Scottish Parliament and against austerity – but in this historic vote she will show the only power she is really interested in is the power to pass-on Tory cuts. I believe that our Parliament here in Scotland must be about more than simply being a conveyor belt for Tory austerity and that is why we must use the powers of that parliament to defend communities and invest in the future of Scotland.

Many people have become more aware of the failure of the SNP to do anything about austerity, but progressive voters will rightly be even more disappointed in the Scottish Greens, who are propping-up SNP cuts. By supporting this budget, Patrick Harvie’s party has sold out those who put their trust in them through the ballot box.

The SNP/Green budget will deliver £170million of cuts to our valued public services. On this historic day, Scottish Labour will choose a different path. We will vote against austerity and continue the fight to ensure the Scottish Parliament uses its new powers to improve the life-chances of our children and the most vulnerable in communities up and down Scotland.

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Scottish Labour • •

Press release: South West Water fined for sewage pollution near shellfish beds

South West Water has been ordered to pay £205,000 in fines and costs for discharging sewage into the Fal estuary in Cornwall. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

On 26 August 2013 untreated sewage overflowed from the water company’s Newham sewage treatment works near Truro into the Fal, an internationally important shellfishery, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The illegal spill occurred after a piece of redundant grating fell and partially blocked an inlet at the works, causing sewage to back up and overflow into the estuary via a storm storage outfall. The spill continued for about 9.5 hours, during which time enough sewage escaped to fill 4,563 bath tubs (730,000 litres).

The discharge occurred close to mussel and oyster beds at Malpas and Grimes Bar. As a precaution, these shellfisheries were temporarily closed by Cornwall Port Health Authority because of the possible risk of contamination by harmful viruses and bacteria such as Norovirus and e.coli.

The decision to close the shellfish beds was taken just before the start of the commercial harvesting season (1 October). Although most harvesting is done during the commercial season, there is a risk small quantities of shellfish may be hand-picked by individuals outside of this time and there would have been a potential risk to those consumers.

Sewage at the Newham treatment works normally undergoes a high level of treatment (tertiary) including ultra violet (UV) that kills bacteria and disinfects effluent. An UV disinfection system is required at this site because of the Fal estuary’s designation as a shellfishery.

The sewage discharged over a bank holiday on 26 August was settled and screened, but otherwise untreated and occurred outside of a storm event. This would have resulted in a significant increase in levels of bacteria in parts of the Fal estuary and meant the treatment works was in breach of its Environment Agency permit.

Mark Pilcher, team leader for the Environment Agency in west Cornwall, said:

It is essential large sewage works bordering estuaries with conservation designations and also containing shellfish beds are operated and inspected to a high standard to prevent unpermitted sewage spills posing risks to public health and the environment.

In this case an inspection programme or removal of a redundant grating structure would have removed the risk of this grating falling into the sewage works and blocking it leading to the spill of sewage.

South West Water Limited was fined £185,000 plus £20,000 costs after pleading guilty to 2 offences under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 including, on 26 August 2013, causing pollution of the Fal estuary through the illegal discharge of sewage and failing to maintain a saline tank valve at its Newham sewage treatment works. The water company was fined £175,000 for the first offence and £10,000 for the second. The case was heard at Truro Crown Court on 15 February 2017.

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HM Government • • •