Alerts
Alerts archive 2010

Information Commissioner issues first Data Protection Act fines

Data protection hit the headlines again this morning with news that two bodies have been issued with substantial fines by the Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, after breaching the Data Protection Act (DPA).

Banking update: report and review on recent cases and issues

Wragge & Co's banking and finance experts bring you the latest on the cases and issues affecting the lending industry.

Veolia wins partial victory in bid to withhold commercially sensitive information requested under the Audit Commission Act

Veolia has part succeeded in the Court of Appeal in withholding certain commercially sensitive information contained in its PFI waste contract with Nottinghamshire County Council. This had been requested by Mr Dowen under the Audit Commission Act 1998.

Carbon Reduction Commitment - new consultation published

Following the changes announced in the Spending Review, the Government has published a consultation on amendments to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Luxembourg funds: the reform is confirmed

Reform of the tax regime governing partnerships.

Before you charge in - Part 11. Staying in control of your contracts: no-waiver and variation clauses

Being in control of your contracts is key to avoiding disputes in respect of them.

Property update - November 2010

Wragge & Co's real estate experts bring you the latest property law issues. Read their comment on these issues and take note of any action points that will help you and your organisation.

Private energy networks: allowing customers to choose their supplier

In May 2008 the European Court of Justice provided its ruling on the Citiworks case. Since then, the operators of licence exempt distribution networks have been expecting fundamental changes to their regulatory regime: These changes are now firmly on the horizon.

European Commission publishes submissions on horizontal cooperation agreements consultation

The European Commission has published the stakeholder submissions it received on its consultation on horizontal cooperation agreements. Of the 100-plus responses received, the key areas of controversy have been around intellectual property rights.

Strengthening the defences - back in London

The Supreme Court has clarified the application of human rights law to possession proceedings in light of the recent European Court of Human Rights case of Kay v United Kingdom.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: 24 steps forward

As 24 Local Enterprise Partnerships set about developing their boards, the Government White Paper "Local growth: realising every place's potential" gives more clues about their role.

Update on the proposed nuclear power stations

The Government has identified eight sites in England and Wales as suitable for future nuclear power stations. Now Chris Hulme, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has confirmed the new reactor designs are "justified". But what does "justification" mean and what are the implications?

Supreme Court hands down judgment in Manchester City Council v Pinnock: local authorities and social landlords take note

Local authorities and social landlords must take note of the Supreme Court's decision in Manchester City Council v Pinnock.

Charging interest for late payment

On 20 October the European Parliament formally approved the European Commission's proposal to replace the Late Payment Directive. However, it has made a number of amendments to the European Commission's proposal.

The National Infrastructure Plan 2010

The first National Infrastructure Plan for the UK has been published by the Coalition Government.

Building the bonfire - the Public Bodies Bill

The Government has laid before Parliament a bill to implement its proposals for the reform of public bodies. The Public Bodies Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords at the end of last week.

When "without prejudice" doesn't mean what you think

It is commonly thought that the words "without prejudice" mean exactly that - litigants can write or say what they like, safe in the knowledge that such information will never be put before a judge (and in effect used against them). Think again!

The retreat from Roanne continued? Commission v Spain (Case C-306/08)

Consideration of the application of the EU procurement rules to development agreements by the European Court continues with the publication of the Advocate General's opinion in the case of European Commission v Spain on 16 September.

Raising the BAA?

The Court of Appeal has reversed the decision of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) which quashed, on the ground of apparent bias, the decisions, findings and reasoning contained in the Competition Commission's report into the common ownership of airports by BAA.