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Press release: Northumberland farmer fined for failing to fix pollution risk

A Northumberland farmer who was fined £19,000 last year for twice polluting a protected watercourse has been ordered to pay a further £2,854.56 in fines and costs for failing to fix the source of the pollution.

John Laing, 54, of New Heaton Farm in Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland, appeared at Berwick upon Tweed Magistrates’ Court on 5 April 2018 having previously admitted contempt of court.

The court heard that in January 2017 Laing was ordered by Newcastle Magistrates’ Court to repair the storage unit by 30 June 2017. Without remedial works, there remains a continued risk of silage leaking from a silo storage unit into a tributary that flows into the River Till.

The order had required Laing to carry out specific works to capture and prevent any effluent from escaping the silo, and provide written certification from a chartered engineer that the works had been completed to the required standards. Environment Agency officers made several visits to the farm before and after the deadline to check whether the works had been completed.

While Laing had enlisted the services of a builder, work had not started before the June 2017 deadline. Subsequent visits by Environment Agency officers in August and September 2017 revealed that some work had begun but not as agreed and to a poor standard.

In mitigation, Laing said he had relied on the assurances of a builder as to the quality of the remedial work and was no longer using the storage facility himself.

Neil Paisley, Senior Agriculture Officer at the Environment Agency, said:

John Laing has repeatedly shown a disregard for the law and a disregard for the
environment since an initial pollution incident in 2014.

Pollution of any watercourse is a serious offence because of the devastating impact it can
have on fish, wildlife and ecosystems. We will take action against anyone who fails to act
in accordance with environmental laws and fails to comply with orders to ensure pollution
is prevented.

If anyone spots a potential pollution issue they can report it to the Environment Agency’s free 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Link: Press release: Northumberland farmer fined for failing to fix pollution risk
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: New laws to better protect millions of Brits who book holidays online

UK families spend on average £22.10 per week on package travel abroad, which represents over a third (33%) of household spending on recreation and culture. With the advent of online booking, the way we buy holidays has changed significantly in recent years, with 83% of Brits booking a holiday online in 2017, compared to 76% in 2016.

New measures coming into force in July will provide clearer and stronger protections for holidaymakers by ensuring more types of holidays are protected by consumer protection rules.

This comes the day after the government launched its Modernising Consumer Markets Green Paper, holding companies to account who fail consumers and looking to strengthen enforcement of consumer rights.

The new measures will be underpinned by information requirements to ensure consumers are clear on what travel product they are buying and the corresponding level of protection.

According to ABTA – the Travel Association, changes to how we book travel – such as using online booking sites – have created a gap in consumer protections, with 50% of holidays not currently financially protected if a company fails.

New rules will help close this gap, meaning more holidays will be protected by consumer protection rules.

Consumer Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

When we book a package holiday we expect it all to go according to plan, but if a company goes bust it can ruin more than just the holiday, leaving people out of pocket or even stranded.

These new rules mean that internet explorers can book their holidays online, secure in the knowledge they will be compensated in the same way as someone who booked their holidays through a travel agent if something does go wrong.

New rules outlined today include:

  • an extension to current protections to cover millions of extra holidays
  • a requirement for better information to be provided to travellers at the point of booking, making it clear what their rights to refund are
  • ensuring the business that puts together the package holiday is responsible for the entire holiday – even if some elements will be fulfilled by other companies

The new rules will also provide clarity to businesses, increasing fairness in the travel industry by making online outlets as responsible for consumer protections as traditional travel agents.

The government is working with travel industry leaders to develop guidance for businesses to help them comply with the new regulations.

Regulations will be introduced in Parliament in April, with protections coming into force from 1 July 2018.

Read the Government response to the Package Travel Directive consultation

Notes to editors

  1. The Package Travel Directive consultation ran from 14 August 2017 to 25 September 2017.
  2. Holidays booked from 1 July 2018 will be captured by the new measures.
  3. Household expenditure stats provided by the Impact Assessment
  4. Holiday booking stats provided by ABTA Holiday Habits 2017
  5. Modernising consumer markets: green paper

Link: Press release: New laws to better protect millions of Brits who book holidays online
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: More good news for British businesses as exports growth continues

Demand for world class British goods and services continues to grow around the globe according to new figures published by the ONS today (Wednesday 11 April).

UK exports rose from £59.4 billion to £627.6 billion between March 2017 and the end of February 2018 – an increase of 10.4%.

Today’s positive results for British business comes as a new report reveals that the growth in UK exports is set to double by 2030.

The report from HSBC found the export boom looks set to continue in the coming years, with the prediction that UK exports of goods and services will rise by 22% in value by 2020, and double by 2030. Their survey of more than 6,000 companies confirmed that nearly three-quarters (72%) of UK-based businesses expect their overseas trade to increase over the next 12 months.

HSBC’s new trade forecast also predicted that UK goods and services exports will increase by 10% in 2018 – the fastest pace of growth since 2011.

Indications so far are positive, with the country’s renowned service sector continuing to thrive with exports up 9.5% to £282.6 billion, increasing the service surplus to £108.3 billion. Goods exports also rose strongly by 11.3% to £345 billion. Exports continue to grow faster than imports with the overall trade deficit narrowing by £12.9 billion from £40.4 billion to £27.5 billion.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

The UK is entering a period of unprecedented economic opportunity, with latest figures showing a surge in exports together with optimism for continued export growth in the years ahead.

As an international economic department, we are supporting UK businesses from every part of the country to succeed on the global stage, and ensure this creates more jobs and prosperity in every part of the country.

The UK also remains a strong destination for investment with the record numbers of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into the UK in 2016 to 2017. The Department for International Trade (DIT) recorded 2,265 FDI projects up 2% on the previous year – estimated to have created or safeguarded more than 108,000 jobs.

Background

Link: Press release: More good news for British businesses as exports growth continues
Source: Gov Press Releases