Policy and Consultations:
2024 Consultations
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The IRRV responds to consultations that are relevant to the membership and profession across all the Institute’s faculties. Most consultations of interest are issued by the UK national governments on legislative matters, but responses can be made to papers emanating from the private and non-profit sectors and from international bodies.
This work is undertaken under the guidance of the Law and Research Portfolio Holder. Drafting is developed with the input of the Institute’s Faculty Board members. Issues being consulted upon can often span the interests of two or more Boards; it is a strength of the Institute’s responses that they reflect that wider professional viewpoint.
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The valuation of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) for Council Tax [Wales]
The Welsh Government are seeking views on draft Regulations on Council Tax for HMOs in Wales.
They are consulting on draft Regulations:
- to ensure HMOs are banded as a single property with 1 Council Tax band
- to ensure the HMO owner remains liable for Council Tax.
To achieve this, they are proposing to disapply the Council Tax (Chargeable Dwellings) Order 1992 and the Council Tax (Liability for Owners) Regulations 1992 in relation to Wales and make the Council Tax (Chargeable dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 2025 and the Council Tax (Liability for Owners) (Wales) Regulations 2025.
The new Regulations would replicate the existing provisions and include new provisions so that HMO properties are aggregated and treated as a single dwelling for Council Tax purposes. The Regulations would also expand the prescribed class of HMO for which the owner is responsible for paying Council Tax. Regulation 4 of the Council Tax (Liability for Owners) (Wales) Regulations 2025 transfers the liability to pay Council Tax to the person who has the most inferior interest (whether freehold or leasehold) in the whole of the dwelling or, where there is no such person, the freeholder of the whole or any part of the dwelling, rather than to the owner.
The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.wales/valuation-houses-multiple-occupation-hmos-council-tax.
Closing date for responses is 26 November 2024.
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Data protection fee regime: proposed changes [UK]
This consultation is seeking views on the government’s proposals to amend the data protection fees that are payable by data controllers to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The proposals aim to secure the financial resources required to support the ICO in fulfilling its functions under data protection legislation, including the:
- provision of guidance
- advice and support to organisations to enable compliance with data protection obligations
- and to achieve full cost recovery in line with HM Treasury’s principles on Managing Public Money.
They welcome responses from interested individuals and organisations from across the UK. Given the focus of the consultation, they consider it to have particular relevance to:
- data controllers, including individuals and organisations across the private, public and the Civil Society and Voluntary
- community and social enterprise sectors, who are currently paying or expect to be required to pay a data protection fee in the future.
They recommend that you read the full consultation document before completing your response. Following this consultation, they will carefully consider views and evidence, which will inform our response.
The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/data-protection-fee-regime-proposed-changes?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=c006b6ad-a52a-4078-a509-df44b1641a92&utm_content=daily
Closing date for responses is 11:55pm on 26 September 2024.
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Consultation on charitable non-domestic rates relief for private schools in Wales [Wales]
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford MS, has launched a consultation on the Welsh Government’s proposal to withdraw charitable non-domestic rates relief from private schools, from 1 April 2025. In Wales, private schools are registered as ‘independent schools’.
The consultation sets out the Welsh Government’s proposal and asks for views.
The consultation could be found at https://www.gov.wales/charitable-non-domestic-rates-relief-private-schools
The deadline for responses is 16 December 2024.
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Consultation on the Extension of Job Share Provisions for Elected Members of Principal Councils to Non-Executive Roles [Wales]
Section 58 of, and Schedule 7 to, the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (“the Act”) amends the Local Government Act 2000 to require principal councils with executive arrangements to make provision enabling 2 or more councillors to share office on that executive, including the office of leader of the executive.
The Welsh Government are proposing to introduce regulations to also allow job-sharing of certain non-executive roles within principal councils and want your views on these proposals.
The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.wales/extension-job-share-provisions-elected-members-principal-councils-non-executive-roles
Closing date for responses is 4 October 2024.