Tag Archives: politics

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This is the second big Government contract cancelled in the space of six months – Rebecca Long- Bailey

Rebecca Long- Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Energy, commenting on the Government announcement today that the tax payer will incur nearly £100m in costs and damages due to the mishandling of nuclear decommissioning contracts, said:

“By cancelling just two years into a 14 year contract, the Government has shown dramatic levels of incompetence in the procurement process of this deal. 

“British tax payers who stand to lose nearly £100m should be asking themselves not just whether they are willing to put up with such ineptitude but also whether the Government actually has a well thought out and long term nuclear decommissioning strategy. 

“This is of course the second big Government contract cancelled in the space of six months after the Concentrix tax credits scandal earlier this year. With Concentrix, a similar pattern of Government behaviour emerged, they failed to recognise key failures in service provision and were forced to cancel the contract.”

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Labour • • •

Louise Haigh responds to BT’s £42 million fine from Ofcom

Louise Haigh, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, commenting on BT’s £42 million fine from Ofcom, said:

“It’s right that Ofcom has taken this so seriously. The sluggish upgrade of our digital infrastructure has already left swathes of the UK behind; and now it’s clear that BT failed to give proper notice that it was not going to meet roll out deadlines, failed to pay compensation and then did not comply quickly and fully with the information demands Ofcom made of them.

“It’s just not good enough that time again promises on advertising speeds and roll-out have been broken. It’s right that BT is being made to pay for these failures.”

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Labour • • •

New vehicle tax rates: how motorhomes, kit-built and multi-stage build vehicles are affected

We’re counting down to the 1 April changes to the way vehicle tax is calculated for cars and some motorhomes first registered with DVLA on or after this date.

We thought we’d take a closer look at how changes to the way vehicle tax is calculated will affect motorhomes, kit-built and multi-stage build vehicles.

Only vehicles categorised as M1, M1SP and M1G vehicles on the type approval certificate are affected, so when you register the vehicle you’ll need the:

  • CO2 emissions figure (shown on the type approval certificate)
  • list price (the published price before any discounts) or notional price – check with your dealer, if you’re purchasing a vehicle through them, so you know how much vehicle tax you’ll have to pay.

The new tax rules will only apply if the CO2 emissions figure is present

If no type approval or CO2 emissions figure is recorded on the type approval certificate the vehicle will be taxed in the PLG tax class. The current rates of tax can be found here

New vehicles with a list price of more than £40,000

As with cars, if your vehicle has a list price or notional price over £40,000, the rate of tax is based on CO2 emissions the first time the vehicle is taxed. The additional rate of tax will apply from the next time you tax the vehicle.

From the second time the vehicle is taxed, the standard rate of tax is £140 (£130 for alternative fuel vehicles) and an additional rate (where applicable) of £310, adding up to £450 (£440 for alternative fuel vehicles) a year for the next 5 years.

Check out new vehicle tax rates from 1 April 2017 for more information.

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DVLA • • •

News story: New Government Veterinary Services blog launched

The Government Veterinary Services (GVS) blog is a place for government vets to share stories about the interesting and varied roles they undertake.

The blog’s aim is to raise awareness of the range of career options available to vets in government to inspire veterinary graduates and non-government vets to consider a government veterinary career.

Vets from all government departments in the United Kingdom (UK) can get involved and contribute a blog.

Vets have worked in government for more than 150 years, protecting the animals and people of the UK against disease threats, and helping to improve animal welfare.

There are more than 600 vets employed in a range of government departments across the UK, with the majority (approximately 350) being employed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Other departments include:

  • The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Welsh Government
  • Scottish Government
  • The Food Standards Agency
  • The Food Standards Agency Scotland
  • The Ministry of Defence
  • The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
  • The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland)
  • The Home Office
  • The Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory
  • Public Health England
  • The Veterinary Medicines Directorate

Nigel Gibbens, UK Chief Veterinary Officer said:

Government Veterinary Services want to inspire veterinary graduates and vets in private practice to consider a career as a government veterinarian – there is no veterinary role that is wider in scope, impact and influence than that of a government vet.

As the Government’s Chief Vet, I’m thrilled that the Government Veterinary Services has given us the opportunity to create a platform to demonstrate the important role we play in protecting the livelihoods of farmers, the health and welfare of their animals and public health across the country.

The blog can be viewed at https://vets.blog.gov.uk/ and can also be accessed from the Government Veterinary Services GOV.UK page, a portal for veterinarians to find out more about the work of government vets. GVS supports public sector veterinary professionals and promotes veterinary policy to other vets and the public. It works to attract and retain talented individuals to the profession and improve the skills and capability of veterinary professionals across government.

You can subscribe to the blog to receive email updates when new blogs are posted.

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HM Government • • •