Blog archive

On 7 February 2023, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was formed. The new Secretary of State, Michelle Donelan has a long to do list. This includes ongoing negotiations for UK association with Horizon Europe, measures to plug funding gaps and fulfilling the government’s aim of the UK being a science superpower. So, with all this change what is the government doing to ...

Valentine’s Day 2022 is the day which the Building Safety Act decrees is the date to be used to ascertain if a lease is a “qualifying lease” (see blogs by Kate Rushworth  and Lauren Michaelides as to what are qualifying leases and what that means for both landlords and leaseholders). The 14 February 2022 is known in the Act as  “the qualifying time”.

New Court of Protection guidance on ‘closed hearings’ and ‘closed material’...

Government priorities, food security, food inflation and costs for food producers. The Grocery Code Adjudicator annual survey. Advertising restrictions on alcohol proposed in Scotland and the ASA this week looks at Muff Liquor re social responsibility, obvious identification as an ad and the differences in social media posts of instagram and TikTok in assessing audience age. Finally, Lidl vs Tesco the battle for the trademark and a link to the recording of our M&R crisis management webinar #food #agri #inflation #costs #security #alcohol #advertising #restriction #update #lidl #tesco #crisis #scotland #asa

England’s Patient Safety Commissioner has released a report of her first 100 days in the role...

Government to fulfil 2018 pledge to give workers the right to request more predictable working conditions...

Our building safety blogs over the last few weeks have explained what, if any, contributions can be sought from a landlord from leaseholders for remedial works for cladding and building safety risks where these work are required to be undertaken to buildings which are at least 11 metres or 5 storeys high and contain at least two dwellings.  However, what happens if the landlord does not undertake the necessary cladding or building safety risk works? 

Nine regions across England will establish joint committees between NHS England and multi-Integrated Care Board collaborations to commission specialised services...

E-labels are likely to increasingly become used in the food sector. By December 2023 all wine producers selling in the European Union will be legally required to provide allergy, energy, ingredient and nutritional information to consumers on their labels.  Regulation 2021/2117 also creates a critical distinction between what information must appear on physical labels and what information can be provided through 'electronic means' ie an e label via a QR code.  It also allows 'de-alcoholised' wines to be labelled as wines for the first time.

Food inflation: sugar, alcohol & dog food. Competition & Markets Authority unit pricing investigation into retailers, eggs move from free range to barn reared, warnings on alcohol in Ireland, duty freeze changes, e-labels on wine in Europe and de-alcoholised wine. Aldi copyright infringement and the statutory test. Comparative nutrition claims reviewed by the ASA. Defra gives environmental targets to farmers and HSE fatality prosecution - £800k fine plus costs - keep your risk assessments up to date, vehicle & pedestrians separated and inform visitors. Almost 1/4 fatalities are from 'being struck by a moving vehicle'

To explain landlord and leaseholder certificates, it is worth a reminder that: A building safety risk is set out in the Building Safety Act as a “risk to the safety of people in or about the building arising from the spread of fire or structural failure”; and Landlords will be required to pay for all costs for building safety risks where the Landlord as ‘involved’ in the works and/or they meet a certain financial threshold.