PLC Public Sector reports:
The recent decision of the High Court in R on the application of Forest Care Home Ltd and Others) v Pembrokeshire County Council highlights the tension between a local authority’s obligation under the National Assistance Act 1948 (NAA 1948) to provide the statutory care services that it is required to do and its fiduciary duty towards those who provide public funds.
PLC Public Sector reports:
Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions.
Jackie Gray, Director, Dickinson Dees LLP:
Local authorities are now required to publish, online, spending data, tender documents and contracts over £500 as part of the government’s Transparency Programme (the Programme). The requirement also extends to central government departments, non-departmental public bodies (NDPB’s), government trading funds and NHS bodies (including NHS trusts), although the threshold for publication of spending data for those public authorities is £25,000 and tenders and contracts is £10,000.
In this post, Jackie Gray looks at the implications of the Programme for local authorities and, in particular, what steps authorities should be taking now.
Justin Day, Commercial Legal Adviser, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:
Not so long ago it was almost unheard of for NHS organisations to appoint in-house lawyers. However, with the landscape changing so quickly, it is becoming more common for public sector organisations outside government to engage their own legal advisers, such as me.
In this post, I look at why exploring the in-house option represents good sense for NHS organisations, argue the case for NHS legal services to sign up to the shared services agenda in 2011 and finally propose a solution for legal professionals working in the NHS who may currently feel a lack of support in matters which may not merit instructing external advisers but which nevertheless require a legal input.
PLC Public Sector reports:
Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions.
PLC Public Sector talks to Clare Reddy, partner at Lewis Silkin LLP:
When, late in 2008, the Commission announced the public procurement regime’s contribution to resolving the impact of the credit crunch would be to relax the rules on using the accelerated restricted procedure for major public projects, we warned that following this route may not be the most sensible course of action.
Two years on and the Commission has given contracting authorities the go ahead to continue to use this procedure until the end of 2011. Has anything changed? Clare Reddy, a partner at Lewis Silkin LLP, tells us that anyone reading the OGC’s information note on the subject and considering their options should still exercise caution.
PLC Public Sector reports:
Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions.
PLC Public Sector reports:
Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions.
Although shadow housing minister, Grant Shapps, had previously announced that local authority powers in relation to Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) contained in Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Housing Act 2004, (see Legal update, Statutory instruments are laid in Parliament to introduce Housing Act 2004 reforms) would be scrapped, Eric Pickles has now confirmed that these will be retained.
PLC Public Sector reports:
Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions.