Posts

Posted on

The Finance Act 2009, Sections 101 and 102 and Schedules 55 and 56 (Soft Drinks Industry Levy) (Appointed Day) Order 2018

The Order appoints 6th April 2018 as the day on which the interest regime set out in sections 101 and 102 (including Schedules 53 and 54) of the Finance Act 2009 and the penalties regimes in Schedule 55 and 56 of that Act come into force in relation to soft drinks industry levy which is charged in accordance with Part 2 of the Finance Act 2017. The interest regime also comes into force on that day in relation to penalties assessed in relation to soft drinks industry levy.

Link: The Finance Act 2009, Sections 101 and 102 and Schedules 55 and 56 (Soft Drinks Industry Levy) (Appointed Day) Order 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

Posted on

Press release: Iconic Spaghetti Junction featured on big screen

It’s stood tall above the city of Birmingham for the past 50 years – and now the foundations of Spaghetti Junction have played a part in Steven Spielberg’s new big-screen adventure Ready Player One, now in cinemas.

Highways England facilitated filming for Ready Player One underneath the iconic structure – known officially as Gravelly Hill interchange – in August and September 2016.

The towering concrete columns, some reaching to 80 feet high, formed the ideal backdrop to the film, which is in cinemas now.

Special templates featuring graffiti were stuck to the concrete structures and various props added into the set, including cars and tyres, with a ‘camp’ constructed for the new film.

The crew took considerable effort to protect the structure and ensure nothing was damaged during filming.
Emergency planning officer for Highways England, Frank Bird, said:

We’re thrilled to finally see the structure on the big screen and we were more than happy to facilitate filming for the staff and crew that were down on-site.

We spent considerable weeks working with the film company and producers and they were really pleased to be allowed access underneath the road. It’s not something that we do every day, but as it was a new Steven Spielberg film, it was an opportunity we couldn’t refuse. Those travelling on the road had no idea what was taking place underneath and that is testament to the hard work and organisation that went into this facilitating this project.

Work started on Spaghetti Junction some 50 years ago this year and it’s great to see that the road continues to hold international acclaim.

The structure continues to carry more than 220,000 vehicles every day and is subject to regular maintenance projects, many of which go unseen by the travelling public.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Link: Press release: Iconic Spaghetti Junction featured on big screen
Source: Gov Press Releases

Posted on

News story: New requirements for farmers to improve environment for all

New rules are now in force which will protect the water environment and save farmers money.

The new rules, which came in to force on 2 April 2018, mean it is now mandatory for all farmers in England to maintain good practice to protect water quality and prevent water pollution incidents.

Collectively, farming related pollution incidents can harm wildlife in our rivers and seas. They also impact on our economy, resulting in higher bills from increased water treatment and affect our tourism and shellfish industry.
Many farmers have already made great progress in addressing pollution risks but the new rules will help tackle water pollution by ensuring all farmers take action.

The rules will:

  • promote good practice in managing fertilisers and manures;
  • encourage land managers to take reasonable precautions to prevent diffuse pollution from runoff or soil erosion;
  • require land managers to plan each application of manure or fertilisers, based on soil tests, to meet but not exceed crop and soil needs.

Our 25 Year Environment Plan set out how these new rules will require every farmer to identify and manage risks to water and start taking precautions to reduce ammonia emissions, reducing pollution and soil erosion and improving resource efficiency.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey said:

This is a really important opportunity for farmers to reduce pollution in watercourses. In following these rules, farmers will be able to help reduce pollution incidents, improve water quality and save money through more efficient use of resources.

The new rules are an important part of our 25 year plan for the environment which will help us deliver our plans for a Green Brexit and leave our environment in a better state than we inherited it.

The new farming rules have been drawn up with farming and environment representatives so that they are practical, risk based and will prevent and reduce agricultural pollution. They encourage the farmer to think about the risk of water pollution, how to keep valuable topsoil on their fields and to apply fertilisers only when it is appropriate to do so. Farmers and land managers will be able to determine what approach is best for their land, through methods such as deciding when it is safe to spread fertilisers.

The rules cover:

  • planning the use of manures and fertilisers to improve soil nutrient levels and meet crop needs;
  • storing organic manures and positioning livestock feeders away from water bodies;
  • applying manures or fertilisers to minimise impact on the water environment;
  • precautions to prevent soil erosion;
  • reducing livestock poaching.

Farming rules for water are part of a whole package of measures to help farmers and land managers look after the environment. The government is also investing £400 million through Countryside Stewardship which supports farmers in creating or restoring precious habitats and a £12 million farm ammonia reduction grant has incentivised farmers to tackle agricultural emissions.

Link: News story: New requirements for farmers to improve environment for all
Source: Environment Agency

Posted on

The Finance Act 2017, Paragraph 3 of Schedule 11 (Appointed Day) Regulations 2018

The Regulations provide for 6th April 2018 as the appointed day to commence paragraph 3 of Schedule 11 to the Finance Act 2017 (c. 10). That paragraph amends paragraph 1 of Schedule 24 to the Finance Act 2007 (c. 11) to add soft drink industry levy to the list of taxes to which Schedule 24 imposes a penalty for careless or deliberate errors in returns.

Link: The Finance Act 2017, Paragraph 3 of Schedule 11 (Appointed Day) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

Posted on

Press release: Attorney General launches recruitment campaign for new Director of Public Prosecutions

The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP, has today launched a recruitment campaign to find the next Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

It was announced earlier this week that the current DPP, Alison Saunders CB, will stand down in October 2018 at the end of her 5 year term.

Announcing the recruitment campaign, the Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP said:

In recruiting the next DPP we are looking for an extraordinary candidate. The job requires excellent legal judgement, the ability to lead a large organisation and the capacity to work with others in improving the criminal justice system as a whole.

This is an exciting time to be joining the CPS and to be able to play a pivotal role in shaping the organisation and its future.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) employs around 6,000 people. It prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other investigative organisations in England and Wales, including the National Crime Agency and HMRC.

The job advert can be found on the Civil Service Jobs website and the deadline for applications is 9.00 on 14 May 2018.

Link: Press release: Attorney General launches recruitment campaign for new Director of Public Prosecutions
Source: Gov Press Releases

Posted on

Press release: Joint Statement on anniversary of Khan Sheikhoun attack

Joint Statement on the anniversary of the Khan Sheikhoun attack by Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Foreign Minister of France, Heiko Maas, Foreign Minister of Germany and John Sullivan, Acting Secretary of State of the United States.

Today marks one year since the heinous attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, where Asad’s forces unleashed sarin nerve gas with tragic consequences for hundreds of men, women and children.

For more than seven long years there has been no let-up in the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime, enabled by its backers, in flagrant violation of international law. The suffering that has been inflicted on the Syrian people by the Asad regime and its backers is abhorrent.

In 2013, Russia promised to ensure Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons. Since then, international investigators mandated by the UN Security Council have found the Asad regime responsible for using poison gas in four separate attacks. Instead of fulfilling its promise, Russia reacted by using its Security Council veto to shut down the investigation.

Each time a chemical weapon is used, it undermines the global consensus against their employment. Further, any such use in clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention gravely undermines the rules-based international order.

We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. We are committed to ensuring that all those responsible for their use are held to account. We will not rest in our efforts to seek justice for the victims of these abhorrent attacks in Syria.

Further information

Media enquiries

For journalists

Link: Press release: Joint Statement on anniversary of Khan Sheikhoun attack
Source: Gov Press Releases

Posted on

Publication: Letter dated 21/03/2018 from Matt Hancock MP to Damian Collins MP regarding the Information Commissioner’s enforcement powers.

Data Protection Bill [HL]: Letter dated 21/03/2018 from Matt Hancock MP to Damian Collins MP regarding the Information Commissioner’s enforcement powers.

Link: Publication: Letter dated 21/03/2018 from Matt Hancock MP to Damian Collins MP regarding the Information Commissioner’s enforcement powers.
Source: Data Protection Bill

Posted on

Press release: Treacle Jug Farm waste operator stuck with £2,307 fine

The owner of Bradley Brothers Skip Hire (BBSH), a waste management business in Ferrensby near Harrogate, has been fined £2,307 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs and a £170 victim surcharge following a successful prosecution by the Environment Agency.

David Bradley (55) of Treacle Jug Farm, Ferrensby, North Yorkshire, was sentenced on 3 April at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court having admitted to offences relating to the deliberate violation of an Environment Agency enforcement notice, the illegal operation of a waste management facility and failing to exercise duty of care in the transfer of controlled wastes.

The Environment Agency prosecuted after Bradley repeatedly and deliberately flouted his legal obligations over a 32 month period, beginning in February 2014 after officers discovered BBSH’s Treacle Jug Farm site was in breach of its Environmental Permit conditions during a routine inspection.

The site was found to be full beyond its design capacity, leading to an inability to treat and process waste within the confines of a dedicated building as required by its Environmental Permit. Waste material had also been tipped in front of the entrance of the building and skips of waste were being stored outside and not on sealed drainage, representing an environmental risk of pollution and increasing the risk of amenity issues such as odours, pests and dust. Bradley was instructed to bring the site back into compliance, which he failed to do.

Bradley continually failed to comply with the requirements of his Environmental Permit, ignoring the requirements of an enforcement notice to remove waste from the site. He also failed to provide an accurate record of the disposal of 223 separate consignments of waste, which is a criminal offence, and was unable to maintain his continuing competency to operate a waste facility, another breach of the site’s Permit. BBSH even continued to accept waste into the Treacle Jug Farm site after its Permit was suspended and finally revoked.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said:

We had sought to work with Mr Bradley to help bring the site into compliance and provided a number of opportunities for corrective action to be taken. However, Mr Bradley failed to respond to our efforts and even illegally imported waste into the site once the company’s permit to operate had been withdrawn.

The conditions of an Environmental Permit are designed to protect people and the environment. Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment, undermine those who adhere to the rules and cause misery for local communities.

We hope the court’s sentencing decision demonstrates the importance of companies adhering to environmental permitting rules.

In mitigation, Bradley said that he had made attempts to clear the waste but was under financial pressures due to outstanding debts.

Bradley was also ordered to pay £4,000 costs and £170 victim surcharge.

Link: Press release: Treacle Jug Farm waste operator stuck with £2,307 fine
Source: Environment Agency

Posted on

Press release: Derbyshire man reeled in for fishing without a licence

The Environment Agency is reminding anglers of the importance of having a rod licence, after a 48 year old Derbyshire man was ordered to pay over £500 in fines after being found guilty of fishing without a licence.

Nathan Hughes of Duffield Road, Little Eaton, was charged £523 after being found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) in January 2018.

The case heard at Northampton Magistrates Court was brought by the Environment Agency following the discovery of the offender on the River Soar at Kegworth.

Following the verdict, an Environment Agency spokesman said:

We are pleased with the outcome and hope that it will provide as a deterrent for any angler thinking of fishing without a licence. All the money raised from rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefitting anglers and those cheating the system will feel the full extent of our legal powers.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as swindling other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

Any angler aged 12 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. An annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available) and is available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Link: Press release: Derbyshire man reeled in for fishing without a licence
Source: Environment Agency