News story: HMRC and National Trading Standards agree to share information on estate agencies

New procedures will streamline co-operation and ease the flow of information.

HMRC and the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team have agreed new procedures for using existing legal gateways, which will enhance and ease the current flow of information on estate agency businesses between both parties.

Estate agency businesses must register under money laundering regulations and for property redress schemes. Most operate within the legislation to protect the financial system and consumers.

This agreement, effective from January 2017, will streamline our co-operation and information exchange, whilst making it more difficult for non-compliant estate agency businesses to operate outside the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and Estate Agency Act 1979.

The agreement will enable both parties to target areas of risk, those who are trading without registering appropriately and those who may not be meeting their obligations.



Shinfield Eastern Relief Road

I had previously taken up the question of delay to completion of the Shinfield by pass. The Council has now provided the following explanation:

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The failure to resolve this industrial dispute is bad news for both staff and passengers – Andy McDonald

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary,
commenting on reports that Aslef members have rejected a deal with Southern
rail, said:

“Southern services are abysmal even without strike action, but the
failure to resolve this industrial dispute is bad news for both staff and
passengers.

“The Government and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have failed to
guarantee passenger safety or accessibility for disabled passengers who face a
loss of independence with the expansion of Driver-Only Operation services.

 “For the sake of long suffering passengers, all parties need to get
back around the negotiation table and thrash out a deal that delivers a safe,
reliable and accessible service.”



China plans smart health and elderly care

China plans to develop the smart health and elderly care industry in the next four years to grants universal access to health management services and home-based elderly care, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said Thursday.

China will build a smart health and elderly care industry with more than 100 industrial leading enterprises and a number of brands by 2020. [Photo: Xinhua]

According to an action plan jointly made by the MIIT, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Health and Family Planning Commission, China will build a smart health and elderly care industry with more than 100 industrial leading enterprises and a number of brands by 2020.

The country will also have more than 100 model bases for the industry in the next four years, said the plan.

Efforts should be made to make breakthroughs in core technologies and promote the development of intelligent analysis technologies such as real-time health status analysis and health trend analysis based on big data, so as to provide more types of health-care services to the public.

The government will also encourage the development of advanced health devices such as health management wearables, portable health monitors and home service robots, it said.

The MIIT said the it will build a unified information sharing system to improve the quality and security of the service network of the smart health and elderly care industry.



Cabinet Secretary gets Priory pre-school off to a flying start

The pre-school at Priory Church in Wales Primary School is one of five new Flying Start childcare settings across Powys.

Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s targeted early years programme for families with children under four years of age living in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Wales.

It provides free part time childcare for 2-3 year olds; and enhanced health visiting service; access to parenting support, and support for speech language and communication.

Carl Sargeant said:

“I am delighted to officially open Priory pre-school and to meet some of the staff, parents and children. It has been particularly pleasing to hear details of the real difference Flying Start and other programmes are making to the lives of children and their families living in Brecon.

“Powys received a revenue grant of over £1.8 million this year and I have protected funding levels for next year to enable us to maintain the service. Since 2012, Powys has also benefited from almost £200,000 capital funding which has helped to create five new childcare settings across its Flying Start areas.

“My congratulations and thanks go to everyone involved in making this a success and for ensuring families and children continued to receive services during this challenging period.”