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The Companies Bill strikes again

Submitted by LP on Tue, 31/10/2006 - 18:05

Margaret Hodge, the Minister currently responsible for probably the longest Bill in British history, The Companies Bill, has done it again. With no warning, business is now to be expected to publish details of their supply chain.

What on earth for? Do shareholders need this information to assess the value of the business? Or is this just another exercise to provide ammunition for the opponents of business?

What it will certainly mean is more red tape and bureaucracy for business. No wonder that the government have failed to provide an assessment of the impact of the measu

When does a child become an adult?

Submitted by LP on Tue, 31/10/2006 - 18:02

David Cameron has suggested reforming the laws on minimum age limits.  In many ways, not before time. It is clearly a nonsense that 17 year olds can own a gun but have to wait to 18 to buy fireworks. But he also says that he would like children who have demonstrated that they are responsible citizens to be allowed to become adults earlier. Uh-oh.  What next?  An adulthood test?  Armies of adulthood assessors?  An Office for Adulthood Entitlement?

More cohesion or less coherence?

Submitted by LP on Tue, 31/10/2006 - 17:58

So peers have decided that head teachers will be required to promote "community cohesion" and that this will be assessed by inspectors (Guardian).

Schools work best where teachers are left to get on with the business of running schools, not respond to politically correct targets.  In well run schools, with motivated teachers and happy pupils, "community cohesion" happens automatically.

Stern Measures

Submitted by LP on Tue, 31/10/2006 - 17:49

The eagerly awaited Stern Review conveys a clear message – climate change is fundamentally altering the planet; the risks of inaction are high; and time is running out. The Guardian reports that shortly after the launch of the report, David Miliband announced in the Commons that the Government will legislate in the next session to reduce carbon emissions. Reducing emissions is necessary, but it cannot be done by increasing complex Government regulation and incentives.