HelloFresh fined over millions of spam texts and emails – BBC News
‘Food delivery company HelloFresh has been fined for sending millions of spam emails and texts to customers.’
BBC News, 11th January 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: ombudsmen
Major social landlord to pay nearly £11,000 to residents after failings in damp and leak repairs – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Housing Ombudsman has ordered Clarion Housing Association to pay £10,800 in compensation to tenant households after it made four findings of severe maladministration across three cases.’
Local Government Lawyer, 9th January 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Council told to deduct £11k from outstanding care home fees after delays in carrying out financial assessment – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found fault in the way that Essex County Council carried out a financial assessment and a deferred payment process for an elderly man with dementia.’
Local Government Lawyer, 8th January 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Ombudsman overpayment determination – Pensions Barrister
‘The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has published his first determination since the Court of Appeal’s decision in The Pensions Ombudsman v CMG Pension Trustees Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 1258 of a complaint by a scheme member relating to the recovery of overpaid benefits from his future pension payments.’
Pensions Barrister, 4th January 2024
Source: www.pensionsbarrister.com
GB News: Ofcom rules breached over Don’t Kill Cash campaign – BBC News
‘GB News breached impartiality rules with an episode of The Live Desk, which promoted its branded campaign Don’t Kill Cash, Ofcom has said.’
BBC News, 19th December 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Police watchdog refuses to back use of stop and search without suspicion – The Guardian
‘The official inspectorate has refused to back police use of powers to stop and search people without suspicion, finding that chiefs cannot explain why black people are 12 times more likely to be targeted.’
The Guardian, 15th December 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
Housing Ombudsman launches special investigations into three London landlords after rising maladministration rates – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Housing Ombudsman has launched special investigations into Camden Council, Hackney Council and Hyde Group after casework showed all three landlords struggle with damp and mould, repairs and complaint handling.’
Local Government Lawyer, 12th December 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
MoD fined after email blunder risked Afghan interpreters’ lives – BBC News
‘The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been fined £350,000 over an email blunder that exposed details of interpreters fleeing Afghanistan.’
BBC News, 13th December 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Housing Ombudsman issues report setting out key learning and guidance on service charges – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Housing Ombudsman has provided updated guidance on the “often contentious” area of service charges in its latest Insight report.’
Local Government Lawyer, 7th December 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Police still victim blaming in grooming gang cases, watchdog finds – The Guardian
‘The inquiry by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) comes more than a decade after scandals in Rotherham and Rochdale came to light, revealing failings by the authorities that left gangs of men free to attack vulnerable young girls.’
The Guardian, 8th December 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
Elf Bar vape adverts banned in UK over ‘greener’ recycling claims – The Guardian
‘Adverts for the vaping company Elf Bar have been banned after using the slogan “recycling for a greener future” over concern they were misleading because of the environmental damage of discarded vapes.’
The Guardian, 29th November 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
Family of headteacher Ruth Perry refused legal aid for inquest into her death – The Guardian
‘The family of the headteacher Ruth Perry, whose death after a critical Ofsted inspection will be the subject of a high-profile inquest this week, have been refused legal aid to fund their representation just days before the hearing is due to start.’
The Guardian, 26th November 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
Competition watchdog seeks views on use of landbanks and how planning rules affect competition – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published two ‘working papers’ seeking feedback on its assessment of the use of landbanks, and how planning rules concerning zoning, consultations and local plan processes may be impacting competition and how new homes are delivered.’
Local Government Lawyer, 21st November 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Inquiry says Ofsted viewed as ‘not fit for purpose’ – The Independent
‘Ofsted is in need of major reform and is seen as “not fit for purpose” according to an inquiry into the education inspectorate for England. The Beyond Ofsted inquiry called for “transformational change” and said it found Ofsted as “having a detrimental impact on schools which some perceive as toxic”.’
The Independent, 20th November 2023
Source: www.independent.co.uk
The HCPC’s New Standards – Mountford Chambers
‘Anthony James looks at the Health and Care Professions Council’s new standards of proficiency for each of the 15 professions it regulates, which came into force on 1 September 2023.’
Mountford Chambers, 3rd October 2023
Source: www.mountfordchambers.com
George Peretz KC: Clause 19 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill: Power without accountability – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘Clause 19 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (“the DMCC Bill”) gives the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) wide powers to impose conduct requirements on undertakings that the CMA has designated as having strategic market status (“SMS”) in respect of a digital activity (essentially, “big tech”). The condition for the exercise of the power is that the CMA considers it “appropriate” to do so having regard to broadly drawn statutory objectives – the “fair dealing” objective, the “open choices” objective (essentially, enabling consumers to choose freely and easily between providers) and the “trust and transparency” objective (essentially, having the information to make properly informed decisions). The types of conduct requirement that may be imposed are set out in clause 20: essentially, there is no statutory limit to the types of requirement that may be imposed save that (whatever they are) they must be for the purpose of securing various objectives or of preventing various widely defined types of conduct (for example “using data unfairly”). Breach of a conduct requirement may result, if the CMA so decides, in an enforcement order that requires action to remedy the breach or payment of damages.’
UK Constitutional Law Assoication, 15th November 2023
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
ASA bans law firm’s TikTok adverts for misleading consumers – Legal Futures
‘The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two misleading TikTok posts by a law firm for not making clear that the people featured were not genuine clients.’
Legal Futures, 15th November 2023
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Royal Mail fined £5.6m by UK regulator for missing delivery targets – The Guardian
‘Royal Mail has been fined £5.6m by the regulator for missing its first- and second-class delivery targets.’
The Guardian, 13th November 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
Court of Appeal adds additional hurdle to pension trustees recouping payments – OUT-LAW.com
‘Pension trustees in the UK will have to take an extra step to recover a disputed overpayment, as the English Court of Appeal has recently ruled that the Pensions Ombudsman (PO) is not a “competent court” for such purpose.’
OUT-LAW.com, 10th November 2023
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
