News George Osborne leaves Downing Street on Budget day Rigorous review to identify 20bn of cuts Public services under the cosh Analysis by the Financial Times has revealed the extent of the cuts in public services since austerity was introduced by central government. According to the newspapers research, local authorities have had to scrap access to vital services for 150,000 pensioners, while spending on child protection has been cut by eight per cent since 2010. The analysis also revealed that public protection services such as environmental regulation, food inspections and workplace health and safety checks have been scaled back by sharp cuts, as government directions to reduce red tape have been given further impetus by the need to save money and reduce staff. In 2009-10, council inspectors in England made 56,175 visits to factories and other workplaces to ensure health and safety rules were being followed and employee health safeguarded. By 2013-14, the number had been slashed by 91 per cent, to just 4,901 inspections, while 53 councils opted to abandon proactive inspections altogether. AdISA / ShuTTErSToCk A further 20bn is to be cut across central government departments in the autumn after a rigorous spending review process, Chancellor George Osborne announced during the summer Budget 2015. It was the first Budget since the General Election in May, which elected the first Conservative-majority government in nearly 20 years. As well as more major cuts to departmental spending which will have an impact on local authority services Osbornes statement included a commitment to work with the energy sector to encourage switching among consumers, as part of wider initiatives to promote competition in the industry. The government will: l Work with Ofgem to introduce 24-hour switching by the end of 2018 l Work with industry to introduce a switching guarantee to improve trust in the process l Further develop the use of Midata, which gives consumers easier access to their data, helping them to choose the right deal l Work towards improved transparency and visibility on microbusiness tariffs In terms of the secondary market for annuities, the government has decided to delay implementation of this to ensure that there is a robust package to support consumers in making their decision. Further plans for introducing this measure will be set out in the autumn. The government has also promised a cap on the amount charged by claims-management companies such as those that encourage claims for payment protection insurance (PPI) or personal injury insurance toreduce nuisance calls to potential customers. To read the Budget in full, visit www.gov.uk Since the Budget was announced, the Spending Review 2015 has been launched and is expected to be published on 25 November 2015. report reveals counterfeits cost Eu economies billions of pounds ADR comes into force October 2015 Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) legislation, which is expected to come into effect on 1 October 2015, will introduce new mechanisms to help consumers resolve their disputes with businesses. The Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Amendment) Regulations 2015 will provide an alternative way for people to settle disputes with traders without using the formal courts system. Under the new system, traders will be required to advise a consumer of an ADR body should their own customer service efforts fail to resolve a dispute. Traders will not be compelled to use the ADR body themselves; however, it is hoped that they will be encouraged to do so by the potential benefits in customer relations that the use of such schemes offer. An organisation providing ADR has to be approved as meeting the standards of the regulations. The government has appointed CTSI as the approval body in most sectors. So far the institute has approved 10 bodies, covering holidays, car hire, retail, renewable energy, furniture and car purchases. A new report from the EUs intellectual property agency confirms that the sale of counterfeit products is having a dramatic impact on the clothing, footwear and accessories sector, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in sales each year. The study by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) found that the sale of fake clothing, shoes and accessories accounts for up to 518,000 direct and indirect job losses, and 43.3bn inlost sales in this sector and related industries. Sales of counterfeit goods has a huge impact on the economies of EU countries in terms of lost revenue from social contributions and taxes, which are used to support vital public services such as health and education, the report states. The UK Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG), which represents more than 140 international brands, has welcomed the study. Alison Statham, ACG director of operations, said: The volume of counterfeit goods being sold and distributed in the UK is totally unacceptable. Locations such as Bovingdon Market, in Herts, and Cheetham Hill, in Manchester, are now internationally recognised black markets for illegal fake goods, worth millions of pounds every year. These hives of criminality result in massive losses of public revenue and trade, which is damaging local, regional and national economies. In addition, businesses and jobs are being destroyed, along with the prosperity and reputation of the whole country. Statham said that people need to be aware that these counterfeiters are also responsible for dangerous fakes, such as medicines, toys and electrical household goods. Interpol and Europol have now recognised counterfeiting as organised crime, and Statham hopes this new report will help to change societys perception of counterfeiting. The report, The economic cost of IPR infringement in the clothing, footwear and accessories sector, can be viewed in full on the EU Observatorys website.