A brief summary of current government consultations of potential interest to RSN members. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of all relevant consultations.

- Download a printable version of the Government Consultationst here

Access to Cash Consultation – HM Treasury

This consultation is the next step in legislating to protect access to cash and ensuring that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. Despite the decline in cash use over recent years, cash remains an important payment method for millions across the UK, which is why the Chancellor committed and March Budget 2020 to legislate to protect access to cash.

In line with this commitment, the Treasury undertook a Call for Evidence in 2020, which sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access. The Government also legislated in the Financial Services Act 2021 to facilitate the wide-spread adoption of cashback without a purchase. This consultation sets out proposals for further legislation. It seeks views on: establishing geographic requirements for the provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities, the designation of firms for meeting these requirements, and establishing further regulatory oversight of cash service provision.

This consultation closes on 23 September 2021.

Access to Cash Consultation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Warm Home Discount: better targeted support from 2022 – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

The Warm Home Discount scheme obliges participating energy suppliers to provide rebates to their customers, to reduce energy bills for low-income and vulnerable households and tackle fuel poverty.

This consultation proposes to expand and reform the scheme in England and Wales until 2026, in line with the commitments announced in the Energy White Paper in 2020. The objective of the reforms is to improve the fuel poverty targeting rate of the scheme and ensure more fuel poor households can receive rebates on their energy bills automatically, through the use of data matching. An Impact Assessment setting out the impact of the proposals accompanies this consultation.

Government would particularly welcome responses from energy suppliers and charities and other organisations focusing on fuel poverty and vulnerable people.

This consultation closes on 22 August 2021

Warm Home Discount: better targeted support from 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Shared Rural Network consultation – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Government state that “the Shared Rural Network (SRN) is a world-leading £1 billion government deal with the UK’s four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, that will see both public and private investment in a network of new and existing phone masts closing not-spots and levelling up connectivity across every corner of the UK.”

As part of the consultation, government are keen to hear from those who may be in a position to support the TNS (total not-spots) network deployment in the target areas. This could be through ownership of specific telecommunications infrastructure or where there are plans to build such infrastructure.

This consultation closes on 27 July 2021.

Shared Rural Network consultation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Street manager and permit scheme changes – Department for Transport

The proposals include:

• introducing a new type of flexi permit that would cover a number of standard and minor works in a certain area for a period of time
• allowing phases within a permit so that up-to-date information on traffic management can be sent to Street Manager and then published
• including notifications about Section 58 and Section 58A/Schedule 3A road restrictions in Street Manager
• requiring works start and stop notices to be sent within 2 hours at weekends; and requiring highway authorities to submit start and stop notices for their works so that up-to-date information can be provided via Street Manager to road users
• 3 changes relating to street works inspections:
  • amending the way an inspection unit is calculated
  • using performance to calculate the number of sample inspections carried out each year so that poor performers are inspected more frequently
  • consolidation of the fee that needs to be paid for re-inspections of reinstatements that have failed a previous inspection

This consultation closes on 23 July 2021.

Street manager and permit scheme changes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Direct Payments to farmers: lump sum exit scheme and delinked payments – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Government want to know what you think about the proposed lump sum exit scheme for farmers and their proposed approach to delinked payments.

They are seeking views on a set of questions including:

• the eligibility criteria and aspects of how we should calculate the value of the lump sum
• the reference period to be used to determine eligibility for, and calculate the value of, delinked payments

This consultation closes on 11 August 2021.

Direct Payments to farmers: lump sum exit scheme and delinked payments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)