The Agriculture Minister Jim Paice has announced plans that would see forestry businesses exempt from the requirement to hold a Gangmaster Licence. This is likely to require the legislation to be changed and we have not yet been given any indication of the timeframes being considered. This has the potential to get protracted and is unlikely to be completed in the near future.

FCA has been in discussion with the GLA in an attempt to clarify how our members will be affected in the interim period. They have agreed to discuss this with DEFRA and expect to be in a position to provide such guidance soon. 

This most welcome of changes is part of the government's so-called 'red tape challenge' to reduce regulations and inspections.

The GLA will no longer regulate "low-risk sectors", including forestry and apprenticeships, allowing them to focus on the gross abuse of workers by unscrupulous gangmasters committing multiple offences such as tax evasion, human trafficking, health and safety negligence and other serious crimes.

Read the ministerial statement.

FCA has entered into an agreement with Abbey Legal Protection, one of the country’s leading providers of legal expenses insurance products and legal services to the UK business and professional community.

Abbey will provide Forestry Contracting Association member’s access to its Commercial Legal and Employment Advice service. This service is supplied by an in-house 365 – day a year advice department dedicated to providing professional legal advice.

The Service shall cover the Law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Call Centre shall be open during core hours as follows:

08:00 - 21:00 Monday to Friday
09:00 - 17:30 Saturday

Outside the core hours the duty solicitors/barristers will be available at alternative locations to receive calls.

It is a unique service, in that it is staffed only by fully qualified commercial Barristers and Solicitors who are members of the Law Society or General Council of the Bar, whichever is appropriate. Abbey ensure all their advisors keep their practising certificates and provide constant training in conjunction with the Law Society’s approved training programme. Every lawyer at Abbey Legal Services must undertake continual professional development training in order to provide clients with the very best expert legal service. 

All Abbey’s lawyers (advisers, litigators, information specialists and Consultants) are either barristers or solicitors fully qualified in the jurisdiction of England or Wales.

For other jurisdictions, Abbey has formal service arrangements with well-respected practices including Scotland (Levy & McRea - Glasgow) and the Republic of Ireland (Hughes Liddy - Dublin).

Abbey operate a reception system to define the issue to which the caller requires advice at the outset. This approach allows them to direct the caller to the appropriate lawyer to advise on a legal query, as well as allowing for continuity of discussion between a caller and a specific lawyer.

When contacting Abbey legal advisors, you will be asked the nature of your enquiry to ensure that they are referred directly to a solicitor experienced in the particular discipline required.

The nature of your enquiry will remain completely confidential, only details of call usage will be reported to the FCA. This is simply to allow us to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service. The service will be provided free to all Category I, II and III members, provided subscriptions are up to date.

For further information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Tel. 0870 042 7999

City & Guilds - CS33 chainsaw qualifications.

For all those wishing to get further involved in the CS33 debate, you can view the documents by clicking the following links.

CS32 only or CS33 as well - C&G paper (provided by Steve Hewitt, City & Guilds).

Details of demand for CS33 (provided by Steve Hewitt, City & Guilds).

Additional information provided by C & G. 3rd January, 2011.

FCA response to the above. 4th January, 2011