Parliamentary Bill – Security (Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims (Amendment) Bill 2010-12)

Beresford, Paul raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Security;

Section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 created an offence of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult. The offence is limited to incidents where the victim died of an unlawful act and only applies to members of the household who had frequent contact with the victim. The household member must have either caused the victim’s death or failed to take reasonable steps to protect the victim, and the victim must have been at significant risk of serious physical harm. Only those who are 16 or over may be guilty of the offence, unless they are the mother or father of the victim.

The Bill would amend Section 5 of the Act to widen its scope to include situations where children and vulnerable adults have been seriously harmed. ‘Serious harm’ is defined in the 2004 Act as “harm that amounts to grievous bodily harm for the purposes of the Offences against the Person Act 1861”.

The Bill would also make consequential amendments to Sections 6 and 7 of the Act.

Comment by #wco:

Other Contacts: Laming, William

More information can be read at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-12/domesticviolencecrimeandvictimsamendment.html

Published: 08/11/2011 20:00:00
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Time for a “UK Healthcare & Benefits Card” ?

Way back before the 2010 Election, I put together a quite comprehensive platform of common sense policies.

One of these was to change the “ID Card” scheme to be a “Healthcare & Benefits Card” to allow proof of entitlement to benefits (ie every claimant to be issued with one) and for healthcare entitlement (ie everyone – apart from children – who are entitled to relief from healthcare costs like prescriptions and spectacles).

The concept is that the HBE Card would be the key to receiving these services and must be presented at the point of delivery.  Like a bank card it would be used each time a free prescription is collected or an approach for benefits help.

This has a number of key “good points”:

• Removal of redundant and ghost data from local and central government lists
• Data integration with local and central government data sets
• Accurate delivery of services – no card: no free services !
• A way to “upgrade” the card to a valid UK Identity Card at a later date

Pulse recently published a story asking GP’s to undertake an ID check of their patients ( http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/13492844/gps-must-check-patient-id-and-proof-of-address-to-weed-out-ghost-patients-says-watchdog ) where a card of this type would be so helpful …

Parliamentary Bill – Parenting (Young Offenders (Parental Responsibility) Bill 2010-11)

Hollobone, Philip raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Parenting; Education; Justice

A Bill to make provision for a mechanism to hold individuals to account for any criminal sanctions imposed upon young people for whom those individuals hold parental responsibility; and for connected purposes.

Comment by #wco: Not forgetting there should be weighting in this responsibility heavily towards the Main Carer or Parent with Care.

Other Contacts:

More information can be read at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/youngoffendersparentalresponsibility.html

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2010-07-05c.81.9

Published: 05/07/2010 18:10:00
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Parliamentary Bill – Relationships (Grandparents (Access Rights) Bill 2010-11)

Percy, Andrew raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Relationships; Childcare; Family Courts; Parenting

A Bill to give grandparents rights of access to their grandchildren in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes.

Comment by #wco:

Other Contacts:

More information can be read at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/grandparentsaccessrights.html

Published: 23/11/2010 16:35:00
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Faster information !

We’re always busy here at the Third Chamber .. mainly drinking tea and working with our partners to see how to save personal effort !

With that in mind, we’ve been trying a nice new tool from ifttt.com – and we like it .. we like it a lot!

If you use social media and want some form of automation, then ifttt.com will help you achieve it.  It’s still in beta and has some limitations, which we have been assured are being addressed as we speak, but we strongly recommend it.

This has meant we can keep you up to date with bills and committees that the Third Chamber think are relevant.

Don’t forget to “like” our page on Facebook at facebook.com/ThirdChamber.org.uk

Parliamentary Bill – Democracy (Recall of Elected Representatives Bill 2010-11)

Goldsmith, Zac raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Democracy; Parliament-UK; Scrutiny

A Bill to permit voters to recall their elected representatives in specified circumstances; and for connected purposes.

Comment by #wco:

Other Contacts:

More information can be read at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/recallofelectedrepresentatives.html

Published: 26/07/2010 16:50:00
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Parliamentary Bill – Equality (Children (Access to Parents) Bill 2010-11)

Elphicke, Charlie raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Equality; Childcare; Family Courts; Justice; LocalGov; NRP Rights; Parenting; Parliament-UK

A Bill to require courts, local authorities and other bodies, when determining or enforcing issues of residence and contact, to operate under the presumption that the rights of a child include the right to grow up knowing and having access to and contact with both of the parents involved in the residence or contact case concerned, unless exceptional circumstances are demonstrated that such contact is not in the best interests of the child; to create an offence if a relevant body or person does not operate under or respect such a presumption; and for connected purposes

Comment by #wco: Let us all hope this is given the time to have a proper, thorough and objective debate leading to introduction of this bill.

Well done Charlie!

Other Contacts:

More information can be read at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/childrenaccesstoparents.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9438000/9438954.stm

Published: 29/03/2011 16:10:00
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Parliamentary Bill – Equality (Children (Access to Parents) Bill 2010-11)

Elphicke, Charlie raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Equality; Childcare; Family Courts; Justice; LocalGov; NRP Rights; Parenting; Parliament-UK

A Bill to require courts, local authorities and other bodies, when determining or enforcing issues of residence and contact, to operate under the presumption that the rights of a child include the right to grow up knowing and having access to and contact with both of the parents involved in the residence or contact case concerned, unless exceptional circumstances are demonstrated that such contact is not in the best interests of the child; to create an offence if a relevant body or person does not operate under or respect such a presumption; and for connected purposes

Comment by #wco: Let us all hope this is given the time to have a proper, thorough and objective debate leading to introduction of this bill.

Well done Charlie!

Other Contacts:

More information can be read at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/childrenaccesstoparents.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9438000/9438954.stm

Published: 29/03/2011 16:10:00
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Consultation – Relationships (Cross-government definition of domestic violence consultation)

May, Theresa raised an interesting point.

Subjects: Relationships; Equality; Justice

The government has launched this consultation to ask for views on whether the current cross-government definition of domestic violence should be widened. It also seeks views on whether the current definition is being applied consistently across government, and if it is understood by practitioners, victims and perpetrators.

Comment by #wco: Whatever the outcome of this consultation, acknowledgement that DV is a two-way crime and most practitioners already agree that taking children away from their parent, or threats to take a child away, are Domestic Violence. If only the cross-governmental departments and “care” agencies upheld this view when a PwC denies a NRP access or contact with their child(ren).

Other Contacts: DVdefinition@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

More information can be read at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/consultations/definition-domestic-violence/

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/consultations/definition-domestic-violence/dv-definition-consultation?view=Binary

Published: 14/12/2011 20:00:00
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