Government consultations periods, including those related to the forthcoming WEEE regulations could be dramatically shortened under plans announced by the Cabinet Office this week. At present, government consultations run for a minimum of 12 weeks, with extensions given where ‘feasible and sensible’. The measures, which are proposed to come in from Autumn this year, could see consultation on the new WEEE Regulations slashed – increasingly seen as necessary if BIS is to bring the new regulations into force by January 2014.