The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) will fill over 100 roles worth £9.5 million to the economy in support of its major fusion energy programmes over the next four years.

Its Project Delivery Services Framework is aimed at improving social and economic inequality in addition to providing a fast and flexible approach to recruitment. This will help UKAEA in its mission to make fusion energy a safe, sustainable, low carbon energy supply of the future.

Engineers, project managers and apprentices from across the UK will be seconded from six companies, chosen via a competitive tender process, for demonstrating a clear commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This includes:

• Established partnerships with organisations such as BAME Apprenticeship Alliance, STEM Network
• Adding social value to communities as they rebuild post COVID-19 in addition to working with social mobility charity, Career Ready
• Employing apprentices that will work at UKAEA’s Oxfordshire and Yorkshire sites in addition to delivering outreach events to encourage careers in STEM

The six successful suppliers selected for UKAEA’s Project Delivery Services Framework, are: Atkins (with Faithful+Gould), Arcadis (with DBD and Enkom), Gleeds, Mace, Prima Uno and Turner & Townsend.

Science Minister George Freeman said:

“UK Fusion energy breakthroughs at Culham have shown the potential of fusion not just to provide instant zero emissions clean energy at the flick of a switch, but also to attract big investment to create new companies and high quality jobs for thousands of people in fusion energy around the country.

“This new fusion jobs framework by the UK Atomic Energy Authority will both boost the UK economy and help tackle social and economic inequality by creating job opportunities for all parts of the UK.”

Ian Chapman, CEO, UKAEA, said:

“We are delighted to launch UKAEA’s Project Delivery Services Framework to bolster the range of expertise across the UK’s world-leading fusion energy programmes. It will provide increased flexibility to our project teams as we work together with industrial partners to deliver fusion as an important part of addressing climate change and providing energy security.”

Attending the launch event at UKAEA’s Culham Science Centre site in Oxfordshire, Dev Reedha, Framework Director, Arcadis, said:

“Improving quality of life and being able to make a difference is exactly why our people work with us. It is more than just a job. As an organisation, we are extremely excited to be part of the UKAEA framework and are looking forward to supporting a wider mission of taking fusion to the world as a safe and sustainable low-carbon source of energy.”

Lee Patrick, UKAEA Key Account Manager, Atkins, added:

“The appointment of Atkins and Faithful+Gould to the Project Delivery Services Framework reinforces our commitment to supporting UKAEA as it takes a lead on the delivery of sustainable fusion energy. We look forward to bringing the programme management expertise of Faithful+Gould to strengthen the planning and delivery of UKAEA’s portfolio of ambitious projects,and combining this with Atkins’ in-depth knowledge of fusion energy and longstanding relationship with UKAEA.”

UKAEA has already created approximately 36,900 direct and indirect jobs over the past decade with R&D in fusion leading to the upskilling of the UK workforce. This includes improved knowledge transfer between academia and industries, refined and upgraded fusion machine designs, and the creation of new policy and standards.

Secondees from the Project Delivery Services Framework will be contributing to several UKAEA programmes including STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) which aims to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant and a path to the commercial viability of fusion. Fusion energy has the potential to deliver safe, sustainable, low carbon energy for generations to come based on the same processes that power the sun and stars.

For further information please visit ccfe.ukaea.uk

Businesses have less than a week to prepare for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Value Added Tax (VAT) becoming mandatory for VAT-registered businesses on 1 April, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said today.

MTD helps taxpayers get their tax returns right by reducing common mistakes as well as saving time managing their tax affairs and is a key part of the overall digitalisation of UK tax.

Evidence shows MTD is succeeding in its central aims of reducing errors, while also making it faster to prepare and submit returns, and boosting productivity for businesses. New research, conducted by HMRC and peer reviewed by independent academics, shows MTD is likely to have generated increased revenue through reducing errors in both 2019 and 2020.

Nearly 1.6 million taxpayers had joined MTD for VAT as of December 2021 with more than 11 million returns successfully submitted. Around a third of VAT-registered businesses with taxable turnover below £85,000 have voluntarily signed up to MTD for VAT ahead of April 2022, and thousands more are signing up each week.

VAT-registered businesses that have not yet signed up to MTD for VAT should do so now. All VAT-registered businesses must use MTD for VAT for their first VAT return starting on or after 1 April 2022. Businesses should use the time left to choose the software that is right for them, whether that is one of the simple free options available, or a more advanced product for those with more complex affairs.

Lucy Frazer, HM Treasury’s Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said

Businesses using MTD are saving time on their tax affairs, streamlining their processes and boosting their productivity as a result.

Our first move towards a modern, digital tax service – MTD makes it easier for businesses to get their tax right first time.

There is a range of support and information available for those that need it – including accessible online content such as YouTube videos, GOV.UK help pages and HMRC’s Extra Support service.

Agents can sign up on behalf of a business, although businesses remain responsible for meeting their VAT obligations. Those who do not join may be charged a penalty for failure to do so.

There are a range of compatible software products available for MTD for VAT, allowing businesses to choose which tools they use to run their business and tax affairs. A list of software compatible with MTD for VAT, including free and low-cost options, can be found on GOV.UK.

HMRC understands that some businesses will find it easier to comply with MTD than others. For those who need more help and support on signing up for MTD, HMRC is running a series of webinars.

Some VAT-registered businesses may be eligible for an exemption from MTD, if it is not reasonable or practicable for them to use digital tools for their tax. If a business has previously been granted an exemption for VAT online filing, this will carry over to MTD VAT requirements. Go to GOV.UK for more information on whether an exemption may apply.

Example MTD case studies from businesses who are currently benefitting from MTD for VAT can be found on YouTube.

Businesses can choose to register themselves for MTD or can ask their agent to do this for them.

Businesses, or an agent on their behalf, must sign up to MTD for VAT via GOV.UK to fully join MTD. They must have MTD-compatible software before signing up.

Businesses should ensure that they sign up to MTD at least 5 days after their last non-MTD VAT return deadline date, and no less than 7 days before their first MTD VAT return deadline date to avoid paying for their VAT twice.

Businesses must keep digital records through MTD. This can be done via software. Where a business chooses to use bridging software (a type of recognised MTD compatible software which extracts information from a business’s spreadsheet and then submits it to HMRC in a way which is compliant with MTD requirements) digital links must be in place to ensure that records are kept digitally as information is transferred between different platforms.

Businesses need to have signed up to MTD for their first VAT return starting on or after 1 April 2022. They may not be required to make their first submission via MTD until Summer 2022.

A piece of qualitative research, published in February 2022, based on 60 in-depth interviews conducted with a random sample of small businesses that had made the change to MTD for VAT following mandation showed the ongoing customer impact of record-keeping behaviour change in the second year of mandation. This found that businesses using fully compatible software were reaping the rewards of MTD through saving time on their tax affairs and improving their financial confidence.

HMRC published a new report, Evaluating additional tax revenue from Making Tax Digital for VAT, in March 2022 that represents the strongest evidence yet that MTD for VAT is succeeding in helping to ensure the right amount of tax is collected from businesses by reducing opportunities for error or miscalculation.

In 2020, the government published ‘Building a trusted, modern tax administration system’, setting out a vision of a UK tax system fit for the 21st century, designed to improve its resilience, effectiveness and support for taxpayers. MTD is the first phase of a move toward this modern, digital tax service.

Since April 2019, businesses with a taxable turnover above £85,000 have already been required to follow MTD, keeping digital records and filing VAT returns using MTD compatible software. In July 2020, it was announced that all VAT-registered businesses must file digitally through MTD from April 2022, regardless of turnover. HMRC has reminded businesses below the £85,000 threshold of the steps which they need to take to be ready.

This unilateral action by the banks has singled out account holders on the basis of their British residency or nationality, in what appears to be a targeted and discriminatory manner.

We continue to raise our strong concerns with senior representatives of the Lebanese government, the Lebanese financial authorities and Lebanon’s banking institutions.

Since the banks began closing accounts, British Ambassador Ian Collard has met the Depositors Union, the Chair of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, senior representatives of some of the banking institutions, the Chair of the Banking Control Commission, the Governor of the Central Bank and the Prime Minister of Lebanon. In each of his meetings, the Ambassador made clear his concerns about the treatment of British national and British resident depositors in Lebanon and the legitimate perception of discriminatory action against them, as well as possible breaches of relevant banking laws and regulations.

Ambassador Collard has urged the Lebanese authorities to ensure that all depositors are properly and fairly treated, and he underlined the importance of Lebanese banks not discriminating against account holders on the basis of their British nationality or residency.

The Ambassador was assured by the Chair of the Banking Commission and Governor of the Central Bank that steps are actively being considered to appropriately protect all affected depositors.

In light of the banks’ actions, the British Embassy recommends that any British national who has been impacted by the banks’ decisions seeks qualified legal advice in Lebanon. This is not a service that the Embassy can provide. Should they need it, British nationals can find a list of English-speaking legal representatives in Lebanon on the UK government website.

This unfortunate situation is symptomatic of Lebanon’s failing economy. Since the beginning of the economic crisis, the United Kingdom has joined international partners in calling on the Government of Lebanon to adopt overdue and essential economic reforms. Without such reforms, Lebanon’s economy continues its free fall, with serious impacts on all banking depositors in Lebanon, as well as Lebanese citizens more generally and others residing in Lebanon. Reforms represent the only path to rebuild Lebanon’s economy.

The British Embassy will continue to make the case in our engagements that British nationals and residents should not be unfairly impacted by the banks’ decisions, and calls for a rapid resolution to this matter.