The government are set to introduce new measures on High in Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) food including restrictions on volume offers and new rules on placement and promotion. What is a HFSS food? HFSS foods are food or soft drink products that are assessed as high in fat, salt or sugar in accordance with the Department of Health nutrient profiling model. Foods scoring 4 or more points and drinks scoring 1 or more are classified as HFSS ...
In another helpful judgment for defendant organisations handling large amounts of personal data, Driver v CPS provides guidance on the quantum of data breach claims where the claimant has suffered distress but not provided medical evidence. The court awarded £250 as the data breach was at "the lowest end of the spectrum", which may indicate where the de minimis threshold for such cases lies and is often a hotly contested point in data breach claims ...
In a recent update to the suite of Homes England standard shared ownership leases, England’s Regulator of Social Housing sought to align rent reviews with social and affordable rent tenures. In the process, it may have created more work for sector participants ...
The government has announced that a public inquiry will be held into the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The inquiry is expected to start in Spring 2022, and further details on arrangements and scope are expected soon. Very many businesses (and indeed organisations, charities and individuals) are considering whether they will wish to participate in the Inquiry, and how their participation (in particular legal representation) might be funded ...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign highlighting the risks of food labelled as vegan to people with allergies. Research from the FSA has shown that 62% of consumers with an animal-based allergy were confident that products labelled as ‘vegan’ were safe to eat. The FSA says this confidence is incorrect and is putting people at risk ...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking views on potential approaches to precautionary allergen labelling for prepacked and non-prepacked foods. This consultation follows new rules that came into force in relation to allergen labelling on prepacked for direct sale foods last year (see our article about Natasha’s Law here) and will consider how precautionary allergen labelling can be communicated more clearly and consistently to consumers ...
Led by legal director of immigration, Rachel Harvey and employment associate, Amy Leech, this webinar provided guidance on options available for frontier workers following the end of free movement between the EU and the UK. Free movement of individuals between EU countries and the UK ended on 31 December 2020, following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union ...
Our latest Brexit Insight: Immigration series of webinars focusses on the impact of Brexit on workers and businesses since 31 December 2020. Our Immigration expert, Rachel Harvey, kicked off the first session by discussing the issues surrounding the new frontier worker permit and eligibility, including what a frontier worker is, what a frontier worker permit provides and what your obligations are as an employer for the next 6 months and beyond ...
Our latest Brexit Insight: Immigration series of webinars focusses on the impact of Brexit on workers and businesses since 31 December 2020. Our Immigration expert, Rachel Harvey, kicked off the first session by discussing the issues surrounding the new frontier worker permit and eligibility, including what a frontier worker is, what a frontier worker permit provides and what your obligations are as an employer for the next 6 months and beyond ...
One of the most common questions I receive from clients is around the termination of leases, with confusion reigning around the terminology and procedures used in Scotland. It is not surprising that when given a remit to consider the law of commercial leases, the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) first turned its attention to the law relating to the termination of leases at expiry. In October 2022, following consultations, the SLC published its Report on Aspects of Leases: Termination ...
Over the last few years, news that some of the nation's most iconic retail stores have closed has become more frequent. Yesterday, Poundworld entered administration. Last week, House of Fraser announced it would be closing 31 stores, many of which are in some the UK's largest cities. It is no secret that many retailers have been adversely affected by the shopping habits of consumers, ever since the advent of a new pastime - buying online ...
From chatbots to ChatGPT, AI is transforming the way that businesses interact with consumers. Businesses should be mindful of the risks surrounding the use of AI when interacting with consumers. In this article, we offer practical guidance for businesses seeking to utilise this fast-emerging technology. AI and consumer law: the pros and the cons AI and consumer protection is not a one-sided story ...
The designation of eight new Freeports within England made headlines in the Budget and now the winning bidders have to put into effect their successful proposals. What will this mean in practice for those areas affected and what are the likely issues that Freeport authorities will face? We have pulled together some questions we are asked frequently on Freeports, together with the responses we have been providing to our clients ...
Shoosmiths colleagues Andy Graham and Amy Leech highlight some of the main considerations for employers looking to move their employees onto a four day working week. Shoospeak HR podcast 4 day working weeks - a dream or disaster? Shoosmiths colleagues Andy Graham and Amy Leech debate the four day working week pilot and some key considerations for employers looking to implement this type of working pattern ...
In a case concerning the validity and effect of certain deeds relating to pension increases, the High Court has handed down its judgement. The case also considers the application of scheme forfeiture clauses to arrears of underpayments. The case, concerning the Axminster pension scheme (‘Scheme’), was brought by the Scheme’s independent trustee. Many of the original issues were compromised by the parties, meaning that the court was asked to approve the compromise ...
Following Pride Month celebrating the full spectrum of LGBT+ identities, I thought it would be helpful to give you my top tips on how to be an effective and supportive ally to LGBT+ people in your life all year round. I hereby name it the “Ally Toolkit” with three simple steps: Challenge yourself and others: This is my number one. I urge you, to challenge stereotypical thinking. whether it's conscious or unconscious, and whether it's your own or someone else’s ...
Almost one year into the new funding round for English affordable housing, we consider how the new Homes England shared ownership lease may affect living sector stakeholders. What’s happened to shared ownership leases? April 2021 heralded a major change to shared ownership (‘SO’) leases in England. Following a consultation process, Homes England released a new suite of model SO leases ...
As with other parts of the UK, the last 18 months have seen a period of exceptional market activity in the living sector in Northern Ireland, despite the economic challenges of Covid. Much of that activity has in fact been driven by the societal challenges and behavioural shifts brought about by the pandemic ...
The UK will host the UN’s COP26 climate change conference in November 2021, but what is a COP – and what happened at the previous 25 COPs? 15 April 2021 marks 200 days until COP26 is due to start. Taking place in Glasgow from 1-12 November 2021, COP26 is the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ...
The hosting of COP26 in Glasgow this year shines a spotlight on the UK in relation to sustainability performance, applying more pressure on organisations to demonstrate their green credentials and to encourage the development and usage of sustainable technologies in the race to net zero. One sector in particular that is leading the charge on decarbonisation is the affordable housing sector, but barriers exist and challenges endure ...
Net zero targets now cover in excess of two thirds of global GDP and over a fifth of the world's largest public companies, according to the latest report published by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and Oxford Net Zero. This global shift towards net zero has reshaped the development landscape with demand for sustainable buildings being driven not only by regulators, but by investors and occupiers ...
It is only seven months until the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow as it hosts COP26. The conference comes with some terminology which might be unfamiliar. This article is designed to bring you quickly up to speed with the words and phrases you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months. The very basics... COP – ‘Conference of the Parties’, the parties being the 197 signatories to the UNFCCC treaty ...
It is only seven months until the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow as it hosts COP 26. The conference comes with some terminology which might be unfamiliar. This article is designed to bring you quickly up to speed with the words and phrases you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months. The very basics... COP – ‘Conference of the Parties’, the parties being the 197 signatories to the UNFCCC treaty ...
As we begin to move beyond the pandemic, flexible work looks set to remain the norm. We consider how employers can successfully navigate long-term hybrid working models and ensure that they minimise any associated disadvantages. We recently commented in a previous post on the detrimental effect that a ‘day one’ right to flexible work could have - in particular, highlighting the potential impact on junior employees ...
On 23 September 2021, the government published a consultation paper on ‘making flexible working the default’. The response to this consultation has now been published (on 5 December 2022). Overall, the responses to the consultation were broadly in favour of the proposed change ...
