Daljit Rehal has been appointed HMRC Chief Digital and Information Officer from 14 September 2020. [20.09/2]Read More

Unilever said on 2 September 2020 that it would drop chemicals made from fossil fuels from all its products by 2030. The company’s products include cleaning materials such as Cif, Domestic, and Sunlight. The company says that fossil chemicals make up 46% of its carbon footprint. Replacing them with sustainable ingredients will reduce that by...Read More

The Scottish government has said it will pass the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill to give legal effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law. [20.09/27]Read More

On 31 August 2020, Simon Case was named as the new cabinet secretary and head of the civil service. He replaces Sir Mark Sedwill. [20.08/26]Read More

The government is clamping down on penalties issued by private car parks, it announced on 31 August 2020. The proposed measures include: • a cap on the maximum penalty (possibly to a maximum £20) • a 10-minute grace period before a penalty can be issued • a requirement for clear display of pricing terms and...Read More

Amendments are made to regulations in England regarding children’s social care during the coronavirus pandemic. The changes broadly allow for some interviews to be carried out by telephone, video or other electronic means. Some information may be collected at a later stage in a process, such as medical information about potential adopters. The Adoption and...Read More

From 29 August 2020, new laws restrict the ability of a landlord to evict tenants from their homes. Notices served on or before 28 August 2020 are not affected by these changes. Landlords must now generally give their tenants six months’ notice before they may evict until March 2021. Existing tenants whose evictions have already...Read More

A Tenant Hardship Fund of £10 million is to be set up in autumn 2020 to help Scottish tenants who are struggling to pay their rent because of coronavirus. [20.08/27]Read More

On 31 August 2020, Scotland introduced measures to pay a new Child Winter Heating Assistance in winter 2020. This is the first disability benefit introduced by the Scottish government. Families with children in receipt of the highest rate care of disability living allowance will receive an extra £200 toward heating costs. The benefit will be...Read More

On 28 August 2020, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave its views on the law regarding cancellations and refunds during the coronavirus pandemic. The general view is that a consumer who has paid for goods or services that cannot be provided because of the pandemic is entitled to a full refund. If a contract...Read More