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KNOW
NEVIS
CM's Need To Know is put together in association with Tolley Publishing, which produces regular monthly business bulletins offering need-to-know information on many areas, including:
• Company law • Health and safety
I VAT law II Environmental issues
• Tax and accountancy • Payroll issues.
Tolley is also publisher of the Haulage Handbook, a new looseleaf publication covering all aspects of haulage law, including weights and dimensions, driving hours, licensing, international operations, vehicle loading, tachographs and vehicle maintenance.
For more information, call Tolley now on 0181 686 9141. COMPANY Data Protection
The Home Office says the Data Protection Act 1998 will come into force on i March z000. Some 20 statutory instruments are needed to complete the data protection regime created by the act. To date, nine draft statutory instruments have been made available to Parliament: • Data Protection (Designated Codes of Practice) Order 1999;
• Data Protection (International Co-operation) Order 1999; • Data Protection (Subject Access) (Fees and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations
1999;
• Data Protection (Subject Access Modification) (Education) Order 1999; • Data Protection (Subject Access Modification) (Social Work) Order 1999; • Data Protection (Miscellaneous Subject Access Exemptions) Order 1999; • Data Protection (Crown Appointments) Order 1999;
• Data Protection (Functions of Designated Authority) Order 1999; and
• Data Protection (Fees under section 19(7}) Regulations 1999.
These can be found on the Internet at www.homeofficegov.uk.
* Forfurther information on the implications of the Data Protection Act, see CM 5-n August.
Regulatory review The Better Regulation Task Force has published its progress report on Regulation and Small Firms*, setting out the findings from its work to date in this area.
* Available freefrom Morwen Dyer. Tel: 0171 270 66or. It is also on the Internet at: www,cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulationjindex/task.htrn.
All is revealed?
The Competition Commission is consulting* on two aspects of its external communications: • possible measures to incorporate more transparency in enquiry procedures and practices; and • the format and structure of its reports.
In addition, the Commission has published its Annual Review and Accounts 1998/99**. * Consultation on Reporting Side Procedures and Practices is available free from Peter Radley. Tel: 0207 271 0230. It is also on the Internet at: www.competition-commission.gov.uk/tran. con.htm, Comments were due by ro September.
** Available free from the Commission. Tel: 0171 271 0243. It is also on the web site.
FINANCE Audit exemption limits
In response to plans by the Department of Trade and Industry to issue a consultation paper on audit exemption limits, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has established a taskforce to review the limits. The proposal is to raise the threshold from £350,000 to as much as £4.2 million.
The 1CAEW points out that although removing the audit requirement for smaller companies will reduce their costs, the benefits of the audit will be lost. The key will be to find out where the cost outweighs the benefit. EMPLOYMENT Employee consultation
Regulations are in force* aimed at improving procedures for informing and consulting employee representatives concerning plans to make large-scale redundancies and transfers of businesses. The main changes include:
• employers who recognise a trade union must in future consult that union, not just other representatives of the employees;
• more specific requirements for representatives to be consulted in cases where the employer does not recognise a union;
• clarification that representatives of all employees who may be affected need to be consulted, not just of those who it is proposed are made redundant; • specific rights for time off and training for representatives; and
• simplification and strengthening of the remedies employees may obtain where employers fail to comply with the rcgs. *Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings ( Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No 2925) are available, price p,from the Stationery Office.
Fairness act passed The Employment Relations Act 1999 has received Royal Assent. It is available, price £12.35, from the Stationery Office.
HEALTH AND SAFETY COMAH Guidance
The HSE has published Preparing Safety Reports and Emergency Planning for Major Accidents*, in connection with the new Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999. The documents cover safety reports and how to prepare and implement emergency plans. *Available, price £23.5.o each, from USE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO2o 6F S. Tel: 01787 881165,
Fire safety Regulations have been laid before Parliament, which amend Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 and are due to come into force on i December*.
And new fire safety guidance** has been published, offering explanation of the legislation and employers' rights and responsibilities. *Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (SI 2999 No 2877) are available priced £2.50 from the Stationery Office.
** Fire Safety—An Employer's Guide is 19.95from I-ISE Books (see above) or the Stationery Office.
COMMUNICATIONS Protecting privacy
The Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999*, which revoke and replace Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) (Direct Marketing) Regulations 1998, have been laid before Parliament. They will come into force on i March 2000, apart from one interim provision giving legal effect to the Direct Marketing Association's nonstatutory list of subscribers who do not want to receive direct marketing calls, which came into force on 16 August r999.
*SI 1999 No 2093 is available for f4, from the Stationery Office.