Forum members comment on the government's legislative proposals on a range of topics.

A scheme to protect pension schemes when firms go to the wall is part of the government's bid to stem the present crisis. The Department for Work and Pensions will highlight the fund as part of a series of measures aimed at rebuilding confidence in the pensions industry.

Liberal Democrat Response

Steve Webb, pensions spokesman, said: "The government's Pension Bill could be offering false hope to workers whose company schemes go bust.

"Workers need confidence that any Pension Protection Fund won't go bankrupt when company schemes fold. It would be criminal if the insurance scheme meant to secure pensions went to the wall.

"The government's Pension Protection Fund only promises to secure pension schemes from 2005. Compensation must be provided for those who are and will be affected before then."

Conservative Response

David Willetts, shadow work and pensions secretary, said: "The PPI show that there is a serious problem of the 'under-pensioned' and that nothing is being done to tackle it.

"It is ironic that this report should come out on the day of the Queen's Speech.

"The government has ignored all the representations they received in response to their Green Paper calling for reform of the state pension. The Pensions Bill imposes new obligations on employers without the Government doing its bit by sorting out the mess in its own backyard.

"There is nothing in the government's proposals that would encourage anyone to set up a pension. All they can offer is new burdens and more means testing."

Forum Response: Association of Retired and Persons Over 50

A spokesman for ARP050 told ePolitix.com: "The government's latest pensions proposals should be regarded as only a small part of the on-going long-term programme needed to stem the lack of confidence - and investment - in a pensions industry whose delivery has consistently failed to match its promises.

"In the case of company insolvency, contributions must be protected, fully recoverable and easily transferable. The schemes themselves should be more transparent in their terms of reference and financial targets and couched in readily-understandable lay language.

"But the success of any new legislative measures also requires a sea change both in attitudes to saving for old age (in a society where the idea of putting something by 'for a rainy' day is largely derided as an anachronism of the past) and the employment of older people in the workplace.

"For many workers, the decade between 50 and 60 is one in which retirement provision should be of paramount importance and yet many are robbed of the opportunity to continue working due to ageist practices that encourage experienced staff to take early retirement or redundancy packages. Opportunities for work during this important period should be maximised rather than minimised and re-training procedures re-evaluated so that lifetime skills are regularly updated.

"Giving seniors the opportunity to voluntarily extend their working lives beyond "official" retirement age is something this Association has consistently advocated even though Government's recent spin on the financial advantages is somewhat disingenuous in terms of the anticipated monetary benefits. (The 'up to' £30,000 bonus to continue working past official retirement age offers little incentive in terms of real monetary benefit; people on the Guaranteed Credit scheme - ie £102.10p a week - would, in any case, have received £26,546 over a five-year period.)

"Unlike all other members of the workforce, workers over 65 are still denied any statutory redundancy payments or protection from unfair dismissal: although in the pipeline, the age discrimination legislation that might address such an issue is still three years away.

"Changing society's attitudes to age - and to the ageing process itself - must remain an integral part of any long-term reform of a State pension process that also needs to respond to demographic trends and keep pace with workers' rapidly-changing expectations (both of which have changed beyond all recognition since the State pension was originally created)."

Forum Response: National Consumer Council

Diane Gaston, acting head of corporate affairs at the National Consumer Council, said: "It's no surprise that the proposals for pensions are deeply disappointing.

"The plans to safeguard pensions when a firm's scheme goes bust and to protect the pensions contributions of short-stay employees are welcome, but they only tinker at the edges of the growing pensions crisis. It is now essential that pension saving incentives are simpler and fairer - along the lines of the Child Trust Fund.

"People also need help in navigating the saving and pensions maze - with an affordable, independent and local advice service."

Forum Response: GMB

Kevin Curran, general secretary of the GMB, said: "While we welcome the Pension Protection Fund, it may prove a disincentive to company schemes without equivalent compulsion for all."

Forum Response: Association of British Insurers

A spokesman for the ABI told ePolitix.com: "We support the intentions behind this Bill. We support any measure which aims to encourage people to save more.

"However, it is important that the government encourages employers to contribute as well. Our research shows that employers are much more likely to contribute to pensions if they are encouraged to do so."

Forum Brief: Consumers' Association

Mick McAteer, senior policy adviser for the Consumers' Association, said: "There are no surprises in today's speech and very little that suggests that the government recognises the extent of the pensions crisis the UK faces, particularly the collapse in confidence amongst consumers.

"As the state and employers retreat, consumers are shouldering greater risk and responsibility and forced to rely on stock markets and the insurance industry to fund their pensions. This is a flawed and high-risk strategy on the part of the government. For example someone using a stock market based scheme retiring in 2003 would have received a pension worth a third of someone retiring in 2000.

"Moreover the insurance industry is responsible for a litany of mis-selling scandals, leaving a legacy of mistrust. No wonder more than half of consumers are not currently contributing to a pension. The government needs to wake up to its responsibilities and deliver radical and ambitious pensions solutions which are truly consumer focused. Leaving it to market forces will only deepen the crisis.

"The government needs to create new forms of not-for-profit, collective pensions schemes to share risk, restore confidence and reduce costs so consumers have the incentive to invest for the future."

Forum Response: Institute of Directors

Derek Brownlee, pensions executive at the Institute of Directors, told ePolitix.com: "The government seems to be focusing on only one element of the pensions crisis: private sector defined benefit pensions. We'd like to see a broader look at the pensions issue across the board.

"We support the PPF in principle but have some reservations on the detail. It is of no use to those who have already lost their pensions. We think the PPF levy should be able to be passed on to employees, otherwise it is just another extra cost for employers and will harm pension provision overall.

"We think the government is right to rule out a state guarantee for the fund: it's not appropriate that the taxpayer should guarantee some pensions but not others.

"The broader challenge though is to increase the amount of pension savings and we don't yet see any firm evidence that this is the top priority. Focusing on private sector final salary pensions ignores the many people with no occupational pension and those with defined contribution pensions.

"Somehow the overall level of saving has to be increased. When the details of the new pensions tax regime are announced we'll be looking for evidence that the focus is on increasing pension saving, not making it less attractive for higher rate taxpayers.

"Meanwhile, as the private sector struggles with the pensions crisis, it is business as usual for the public sector, where huge liabilities are being run up for the taxpayer with little or no thought as to where the funding will come from."

Forum Response: OPRA

A spokesperson for the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority said:"Opra welcomes the introduction of a Pensions Protection Fund, which should provide a better level of protection for members whose schemes wind-up because the employer becomes insolvent.

"The Pension Protection Fund will be a separate statutory body. However, the new Pensions Regulator, which is due to replace Opra in 2005, will collect an insurance premium in addition to the standard levy on pension schemes that is currently collected by Opra. The insurance premium is likely to be divided into two parts, a standard premium for all schemes, and an extra premium payable by schemes where there is a higher risk to members' benefits.

"The Pensions Regulator is also likely to share information with the Pensions Protection Fund to assess which schemes will need to pay the higher risk premium."

Forum Response: OPAS

Malcolm McLean OPAS chief executive told ePolitix.com;"I very much welcome the plans to cut back on bureaucracy and red tape which will make pension schemes easier both to run and to understand.

"The whole system has become ridiculously complicated and for many people is in consequence a massive turn-off. We must get back to the notion that a pension plan is nothing more than a savings vehicle - a means of putting money away during your working life so as to give you an income when your working years are over. It ought not to be too difficult to drastically improve what we have now using that yardstick.

"The plans to give consumers more information and guidance about their own pension position (and thus encourage them where necessary to make extra provision for themselves) are ambitious but worthy of support. The buzz words here appear to be "informed choice". In the long term if this doesn't work more compulsion seems inevitable.

"The Pension Protection Plan is vitally important both to protect members of private sector defined benefit schemes where the employer has gone bust and to restore confidence in the integrity of pensions in general. It is a pity it was not brought in earlier and that so many workers have had to suffer to date.

"There are still a few unanswered questions about the detailed workings of the scheme and of course the big picture question as to how it would cope financially in the event of a major company going down and whether the government step in to support it in the last resort."

Forum Response: USDAW

Sir Bill Connor, Usdaw general secretary told ePolitix.com:"We welcome the government's intervention in the pensions crisis and the initiatives they are proposing to protect workers in retirement.

"However we think the government should go further to avoid a deepening of the pensions crisis. We want to see the introduction of a compulsory employer contribution to the pension of each employee to build up to of a sum equivalent to 10 per cent of salary, ensuring that employers meet their obligations to their staff in retirement.

"Pension is deferred salary and the government has to act to ensure that workers are not left living in poverty after they retire."

Housing laws in England and Wales are set for a revamp following the announcement of new legislation to enforce extra regulation on the property market.

Liberal Democrat Response

Ed Davey, ODPM spokesman, said: "Home information packs are a damaging and unnecessary over-regulation of the housing market.

"Fewer homes will be put up for sale, as people wanting to test the market will simply not pay this new poll tax on moving home.

"Making these packs compulsory is the real mistake. This is the nanny-state entering the Englishman's castle."

Forum Response: Nationwide

Sally Wrigglesworth, head of strategy and development mortgages, told ePolitix.com: "We welcome any changes that would improve the home buying process and with successful implementation this will.

"As the UK's largest mutual Building Society, without shareholders, we put the needs of our members first. We believe that a significant amount of work remains to be carried out prior to there being successful implementation.

"Development and implementation must be properly managed to ensure introduction of home information packs (HIPs) achieves the desired result.

"We believe that improvements to the home buying process are largely dependent on electronic exchange of information by all parties involved - what the Bristol pilot has proved is that paper SIPs are too cumbersome.

"Then ability to transfer information between professionals quickly and the objective of the e-conveyancing initiative is also vital if the introductionof HIPs are to significantly reduce the time between offer and exchange.

"Consideration must be given to other industry developments such as electronic conveyancing, the National Land Information Service and computerisation of Local Authority search facilities. All local authorities must come 'on-line'.

"We have taken a number of initiatives to improve the house buying experience. These include an ongoing pilot of electronic notification of legal dis-charges, work with the Land Registry on dematerialisation of deeds and an online deed request service for solicitors.

"This facility allows solicitors on our panel to place a deed request on our web-site, which will then be actioned immediately, with deeds then expected to be received by solicitors within 48 hours."

Forum Response: Local Government Association

Councillor Ruth Bagnall, chair of the LGA housing executive, said: "The proposed legislation is a victory for the LGA - which has campaigned for the introduction of these measures for several years - and for common sense.

"The new licensing scheme will give local councils the power to ensure better protection for some of the most vulnerable tenants in the country.

"However, the bill must do more to tackle the biggest threat faced by HMO tenants - fire. Shockingly, more than a third of fire deaths and injuries occur in HMOs.

"The government must take action to protect those who are at risk by setting out national fire safety standards for HMOs. Without these, lives will continue to be lost."

Forum Response: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Oliver Foster, policy cfficer at RICS, told ePolitix.com: "The home information packs and new style surveys proposed will improve the process by giving purchasers the ability to make more informed decisions about what is likely to be the biggest single purchase of their life.

"Chartered Surveyors are central to the advice that government receives on property issues and we have, and will continue to, work closely with ODPM and other interested parties on the Housing Bill

"We look forward to seeing the Bill by the end of the year and expect it to address the concerns and reservations we have raised, including the importance of getting estate agencies up to speed in time for an early 2006 introduction and of training enough Home Condition Inspectors of sufficient quality before early 2006.

"The government has set these and other very ambitious targets which must all be achieved for the reforms to succeed and in order to gain the public's confidence in the system."

Forum Response: Shelter

Adam Sampson, director of Shelter, said: "There is still much to be done to improve the lives of people living in appalling conditions, but the Housing Bill and the introduction of licensing for houses in multiple occupation is a great step forward in achieving this.

"We hope the government will now confirm that it has dropped its politically driven plan to dock housing benefit from those accused of anti-social behaviour - in doing so it will demonstrate that it is prepared to listen to the chorus of disapproval that met the consultation process earlier this year.

"Equally, we are encouraged by the direction of the proposed reforms to the Right to Buy scheme which should stem the haemorrhaging of much needed affordable homes. However, major, long-term surgery is needed to create a more sustainable system for helping people on low incomes into home ownership.

"We hope that as the Bill progresses through parliament the government will be persuaded by the case being made by the huge range of organisations, including Shelter calling for legislation to stop private landlords wrongly withholding tenants deposits. Until there is statutory protection up to 127,000 people will continue to be swindled out of their much needed deposits every year."

Forum Response: National Association of Estate Agents

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said: "There were few pointers from the Queen's Speech as to what the government will be putting before parliament with regards to the Housing Bill.

"The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) welcomes any housing reform that will benefit the consumer. However from this scant mention it is difficult to ascertain the government's intentions in pressing ahead with the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) and the more controversial Home Condition Reports.

"The Association has always pointed out flaws in bringing in HIPs, which ultimately may not speed up the house-buying process and will certainly increase costs to sellers.

"Following on from its own select committee, which voiced some concerns about improving legislation, the government has indicated that it will listen to criticism. We continue to share these concerns of the committee and urge the government to listen to the property professionals and continue dialogue with us."

Forum Response: Construction Products Association

Rita Singh, policy development executive at the Construction Products Association, told ePolitix.com: "The Housing Bill which comprises a requirement for the Home Condition Report (HCR) has the potential to increase homeowners' awareness of and encourage improvements in the energy efficiency of their home.

"The HCR calls for an energy profile of the home to be undertaken by the seller to provide to the buyer as part of the Home Information Pack (HIP). This will prove valuable in informing buyers of the energy efficiency of the property with recommendations on how to improve this, where required. This report could also be used by the sellers as a Unique Selling Point where energy efficiency measures have already been introduced.

"This new degree of transparency will encourage those selling their houses to improve their property's energy efficiency performance which should help achieve the government's aim of improving the efficiency of the UK's housing stock.

"Whilst the association welcomes the introduction of such measures to help improve the energy efficiency in homes, it is important that any legislation emerging from this Bill forms part of a wider strategy to encourage improvements to the housing stock."

Forum Response: British Property Federation

Ian Fletcher, director of residential policy at the British Property Federation, told ePolitix.com: "This bill is stuffed with genuine good intentions, but remains underweight on evidence to back some of them up.

"The approaches being taken will lead to consequences, which have not all been properly considered. In particular, we remain concerned that the licensing of some owner-occupied flats is being changed on scant evidence and simply won't work."

Forum Response: Consumers' Association

Emma Harrison, senior public affairs officer at the Consumers' Association, said: "Consumers' Association has been campaigning for the introduction of Home Information Packs to enable consumers to be better informed when buying a property.

"We are therefore delighted by today's announcement. Buying a property is usually the single most expensive purchase an individual will make in their lifetime and it is therefore essential that the business of buying and selling property is made as easy and transparent as possible."

The government has given the green light to its long awaited bill on child protection. Under the legislation, the post of children's commissioner for England will be created.

Conservative response

Tim Loughton, health spokesman, said: "We welcome any measure that will improve child protection services. However, we regret that the government has not introduced them faster - it is almost four years since Victoria Climbie's tragic death. If Margaret Hodge had spent less time writing letters to blacken the names of abusive victims, and then defending herself against the indefensible, then action may have been taken sooner.

"The jury is out on the post of a new Children's Commissioner. The effectiveness of child protection will not be determined by a new tsar but rather by having the right professionals available at grass route level picking up intelligence on child abuse and working with other agencies to intervene. This cannot happen properly at the moment as there is a dangerously high number of vacancies in specialist child protection social workers. The government needs to address this as a matter of urgency.

"We are also concerned at the government's centralist 'one size fits all approach' to creating new Directors of Children's Services, as proposed in their Green Paper. We sympathise with the Local Government Authority that it should be left to local authorities to determine the most appropriate model locally as long as senior officers are appointed to take responsibility for child protection overall.

"The effectiveness of the legislation will be judged on the basis of clear lines of accountability being established. Improving child protection services is a priority for the Conservative Party - proper reform is long overdue."

Forum Response: National Deaf Children's Society

Elisa Pruvost, head of policy and research (Education), at The National Deaf Children's Society, told ePolitix.com: "We welcome the appointment of a Children's Commissioner and new measures designed to help protect children.

"Deaf children are more at risk of abuse than their hearing peers. This is particularly because they face a communication barrier - which in turn can foster low self esteeem, isolation, and difficulties in expressing their feelings and reporting abuse.

"We hope these new measures will benefit deaf children by making sure that they can be protected too, and have real access to services. Social services need better training in working with deaf children, and there needs to be better joint working between social services teams, and with education and health.

"The new structures of children's services should also make sure that the crucial role of teachers of the deaf is recognised and properly integrated."

Forum Response: Voice UK

Kathryn Stone, director of Voice UK, told ePolitix.com: ""Voice UK welcomes the measures in the Queen's Speech specifically about the protection of people with learning disabilities from sexual abuse.

"These measures are long overdue. We look forward to monitoring their implementation throughout the coming year."

Forum Response: Royal College of Nursing

Dr Beverley Malone, general secretary of the RCN, said: "The RCN welcomes wholeheartedly the plans to establish a Children's Commissioner in England. This is something that the RCN has been calling for and would follow the example set in Wales and Northern Ireland and already planned in Scotland.

"The Commissioner must have a wide remit to act as a powerful advocate for all children. We support measures to improve information sharing across agencies and will be studying the Bill to see how barriers to communication can be removed. The RCN now wants to see the UN Convention on the Rights to the Child enacted into UK law so that children are afforded the same rights and protection as adults."

It has been confirmed that Gordon Brown's child trust funds plan has been given the legislative green light.

Forum Response: National Consumer Council

Diane Gaston, acting head of corporate affairs at the NCC, said: "The Child Trust Fund will inject some refreshing fairness into savings incentives. For a change, the least well off will get more help with their saving from the public purse than the better off .

"Many families who have never before been able to put money away for their children's futures, will be able to do so for the first time.

"This is a welcome and far-sighted initiative. But since it is a long-term scheme, it is vital to guard against it being watered down or abolished by future governments. NCC therefore wants to see the terms of the scheme (the value of the vouchers and the lack of restriction on spending the proceeds at 18 spelt out in the Bill."

Forum Response: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of taxation at ACCA, said: "While the planned Child Trust funds have the potential to help parents and grandparents to provide for children's future, the proposals currently discriminate against those children born after 1 September 2002.

"Eligibility for the new £1,200 'tax-free allowance' should be extended to allow all parents with children under 18 to pay in to the trust. As things stand, it is largely a gimmick."

Forum Response: Association of British Insurers

A spokesman for the ABI told ePolitix.com: "We support this proposal because it encourages young people and their parents to save more. But we need to ensure that the decisions about price caps and sales processes are right.

"Our research shows that parents are enthusiastic about this proposal. 83 per cent of parents are willing to invest in trust funds for their children."

New controls on what happens to human organs after post-mortems are set to be introduced. The legislation will regulate the retention of human tissues after death.

Forum Response: SANE

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "We have called for clear directions and consent for relatives, and we are pleased that the government is clarifying what has been a murky area in the past.

"There has been a great deal of distress, misinformation and stigma surrounding the donation of human brains, which has led to an acute shortage of brain tissue, demotivated scientists and delayed critical research which could improve treatments for and eventually prevent illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. Without post-mortem research, we would not have L-Dopa for Parkinson's and the new drugs used in Alzheimer's disease."

Forum Response: Royal College of Nursing

Dr Beverley Malone, general secretary of the RCN, said: "The RCN welcomes the Human Tissues Bill which will provide further guidance on the retention of human tissue and could help restore public confidence.

"Nurses will play a vital role in ensuring that parents and young people have the right information they need to make informed decisions. The RCN will read the detail of these proposals with interest."

The government has outlined plans to curb traffic congestion on Britain's roads.

Forum Response: Local Government Association

Councillor Baroness Ros Scott, chair of the LGA's Transport Executive said: "Before any remote outside director is parachuted on top of local authorities, much more thought will have to be given to the additional bureaucracy and expense which will be generated, without any certain benefit for road users of all types, and not just car drivers.

"Yet again, central government is obstructing the freedoms and flexibilities that they should be devolving to local government to provide better services for local communities."Transparency and fairness in any decision that the secretary of state may take in future years is paramount. Decisions must be based on proper measurement and be time limited.

"The LGA will be seeking more clarification of how government plans to measure whether a local authority is meeting the requirements andresponsibilities outlined in the Bill shortly.

"Local authorities are best placed to hold responsibility as they have a close understanding of local traffic pressures and the environmental consequences of traffic congestion."

Forum Response: Federation of Small Businesses

John Walker, policy chairman, said: "The Traffic Management Bill will be popular with motorists who have to put up with miles of traffic congestion each year.

"But the Bill is vital to small firms whose businesses can be put in jeopardy when the road on which they are based is dug up for months in succession.

"Once this Bill becomes law, utility companies will have to contact a central agency for permission and can have their request turned down if the road had been repeatedly dug up in the past."

Businesses and unions are to be urged to work more closely under new legislation. The Employment Relations Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech, is aimed at improving relations between firms and their employees.

Forum Response: Somerfield

A spokesman for Somerfield told ePolitix.com: "Anything that improves the flow of information between both parties in the workplace has to be a good thing. We already consult with the recognised unions on a regular basis so the change to work councils will build on these solid foundations.

"Our head office staff, however, are not currently represented by a formal body so the introduction of a work council will be a major benefit to all concerned."

Forum Response: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Mike Emmott, head of employee relations, told ePolitix.com: "There is no quick fix or silver bullet that can be applied to implementing this legislation.

"Our research shows that while seemingly about processes and structures, the legislation will have to be applied in the context of changing organisations and living relationships. It will only work if the underlying objectives have the support of top management and are part of the organisation's culture.

"The CIPD endorses the basic assumption underlying the legislation - that strengthening dialogue between employers and employees is in their mutual interest and will bring strategic benefits.

"This does not of course imply that managers should surrender the right to manage. However, it does mean that managers need to do less telling and more listening and that they need to recognise the importance of leadership rather than falling back on the old "command and control" model of management."

The CIPD says that the legislation will challenge both employers and unions to abandon outmoded prejudices, "Its long term impact will depend on what happens inside people's heads, rather than the detailed processes and structures that are put in place." says Emmott.

Forum Response: Royal College of Nursing

Dr Beverley Malone, general secretary of the RCN, said: "The RCN will study this with interest, in particular the proposals for trade union recognition."

Forum Response: Institute of Directors

A spokesman for the IoD told ePolitix.com: "We are of course interested in studying the detail of the Employee Relations Bill.

"Consulting and engaging with employees is certainly a good thing. However, we hope such consultation would not slow down the decision-making process for businesses, and thereby damage competitiveness."

Forum Response: USDAW

Sir Bill Connor, Usdaw general secretary told ePolitix.com:"We very much welcome legislation to improve information and consultation with staff. Too often business decisions that result in job losses are shrouded in mystery and it is unclear to the workforce why they are being made redundant.

"A greater involvement of workers in big decisions will only make British business stronger".

Not-for-profit firms are to get a major boost from the government. Housing firms, hospices and co-operatives will gain from the Companies Audit Investigations and Enterprise bill announced in the Queen's Speech.

Forum Response: Federation of Small Businesses

John Walker, policy chairman, said: "The Companies Bill has finally been given parliamentary time in the next session and should reduce the statutory burdens on smaller companies."

Forum Response: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

John Davies, head of business law at ACCA, said: "While we support the government's move to strengthen audit here, we wonder how this can be squared with its recent hike of the threshold for a statutory audit.

"It seems to believe that small companies somehow do not need the same sound financial discipline which audit engenders and which the government remains committed to for larger companies.

"We believe that audit is the best way of detecting fraud and that this applies every bit as much to the small company sector as for larger businesses."

The government is to enact wide-ranging legislation overhauling the fire and rescue services. A pledge in the Queen's Speech to introduce new laws means that the reforms set out in the government's white paper will now be implemented.

Forum Response: Local Government Association

A spokeswoman for the LGA said: "The announcement that the new Fire and Rescue Services' Bill is about to start its legislative journey through the next parliamentary session was warmly welcomed by the Local Government Association.

"The LGA has lobbied for many of the key changes that will deliver a more preventative approach designed to reduce the numbers of fire and rescue incidents and consequently save more lives.

"However, one of the most important potentially life-saving changes - the installation of sprinklers in schools and domestic premises - has so far been ignored.

"The LGA will continue to push for government to make the installation of sprinklers a statutory requirement. Current research clearly indicates that fitting sprinklers virtually eliminates fire deaths and injuries.

"In schools alone in the UK, the annual cost of fire damage was estimated at £84 million in 2001."

A Civil Service Bill was not included as part of this year's legislative programme in the Queen's Speech.

Forum Response: FDA

Jonathan Baume, general secretary, said: "The government has made repeated commitments to a Civil Service Act over the past few years, but it has once again failed to act."

"While we understand that there is only limited legislative time, a Civil Service Act would help the government's wider aims of civil service and public sector reform by underpinning - and being seen to underpin - the long term political impartiality and integrity of the civil service.

"Without the security of legislation in place, the government will continue to be open to allegations of politicisation of the civil service, and may also waste important political energy on persuading people of their good intentions."