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EMPLOYERS – PAYE ATTENTION TO SPRING CHANGES

It's been a tough time all round this last year and we're not out of the woods yet, however this is the time to fight back. Ensure your marketing strategies are in place and that you have as many marketing methods as possible to get new business. The CBT already helps members with a Business Directory optimised for search engines, maximiseing the prospect of new customers finding your goods and services. If you are a member without a website we will be happy to provide one with no setup charges and with free web hosting to boot. Don't be the business with it's head in the sand "Success is in sight".

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HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued an urgent alert to employers – important PAYE changes are coming this spring, so make sure you’re prepared for them.

HMRC is writing to all employers this month to remind then that, from this year, they must file their Employer Annual Returns online by the 19 May deadline – there is no longer a paper filing option for small employers with fewer than 50 staff. So, if you file your return on paper, even if it’s before 19 May, you could receive a penalty.
To file online, employers must register with HMRC’s PAYE Online service – they can do this by visiting www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye and clicking ‘Register for PAYE Online’. Smaller employers can then use HMRC’s own free software to file their employee data securely online, while larger employers can purchase a range of commercial software. Alternatively, an intermediary can file on an employer’s behalf.
Further help on employer filing is available from the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye  or from HMRC’s Employer CD-ROM, which is being sent to all employers.
Also from May 2010, HMRC is introducing new penalties for late payment of PAYE – this includes Income Tax, National Insurance Contributions (NICs), student loan deductions and Construction Industry Scheme deductions.
Under these changes, employers may incur penalties if they don’t make PAYE payments on time, and in full. The penalties will be calculated as a percentage of the amount paid late, and, for in-year payments, the percentage charged increases as the number of late payments in the year increases.
Employers who think they may have difficulty paying should call HMRC’s Business Payment Support Service, before the payment is due, on 0845 302 1435. If they do, and HMRC agrees time to pay, it will not charge late payment penalties – provided the business keeps to the agreement.
More information on the new penalties can be found on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/paye-penalties-faqs.htm.
HMRC’s Stephen Banyard said:
“Major changes to PAYE filing and payment are only a matter of weeks away, so employers need to make sure they’re well prepared for them. We will be writing to affected employers over the coming weeks, so please look out for this information, and take the time to read it.
“One key thing to flag up at this stage is that employers do not need to keep a hard copy of their Employer Annual Return if they file it online themselves. As a consequence, HMRC will be reducing its stocks of hard-copy PAYE forms – P35s and P14s. So please carefully consider your PAYE stationery requirements before ordering paper forms from HMRC.”

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The Government is taking the fight to fraudsters, criminals and rogue traders who use the internet and email to con consumers.

Each year scams cost three million UK consumers £3.5 billion and recent research from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) shows that email is now the most common scam approach – 73% of adults have received a scam email in the past year.
Announcing the formation of a new specialist cyber enforcement team and extra funding for Trading Standards, Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan said:
“The internet is rapidly transforming the way we shop. It presents massive opportunities for consumers, but unfortunately it also harbours fraudsters who can leave consumers upset and out of pocket.
“So as they get more sophisticated, we need to stay one step ahead. Our investment will help the OFT and Trading Standards to put in place the new specialist teams, training and technology required to take the fight to these criminals.”
The Government is investing £4.3 million over three years:

• OFT’s team has already set up a fully equipped laboratory with specialist equipment and is being trained by an international expert.  This new functionality adds to the OFT’s capability across all of its enforcement work from cartels to consumer protection cases; and
• new highly trained trading standards enforcers with specialist equipment will also be placed in every region of England and in Scotland and Wales.

Online scams the teams will focus on include:

• fake products and traders who try to hide their identity to avoid giving consumer redress;
• ticket scams where tickets sold for concerts, festivals, football games and other events are either counterfeit or non-existent; and
• scam websites purporting to sell goods that dupe consumers into making what appear to be bargain purchases, but consumers receive either nothing at all or counterfeit products.

Heather Clayton, OFT Senior Director, said:
“Online consumer protection is a key priority for the OFT.  The enforcement team will be looking at the activities of a wide range of commercial websites and taking action in cases where consumers’ rights are being abused.
“Ultimately, giving the public even greater confidence to shop online is what drives the activities of our enforcement team.
TSI’s chief executive Ron Gainsford said:
“I am delighted to see this investment in trading standards.  The profession has invaluable skills and experience fighting scams in the non-virtual world that will now be put to excellent use in the cyber teams.
“We want to see shoppers to be able to be as confident online, shopping cross border in the EU, as they are in bricks and mortar shops – there is a real benefit for businesses and consumers alike to be unlocked.
“These specialist teams will help us be a modern regulatory service that can handle the increasingly complex threats and demands of the online market, which is fundamental to consumer and business protection, and renewed prosperity.”

The OFT will co-ordinate which enforcer is best placed to take action on a particular issue and will focus on the most serious cyber scams. Cases will continue to be passed to the Police, Serious and Organised Crime Agency and Companies Investigations Branch when appropriate.
Consumers who suspect they are the victim of an online scam should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk . Consumer Direct can provide advice and pass on complaints and information to Trading Standards and the OFT.

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Hundreds of small retailers across the country are set to receive grants to buy security devices such as alarms, security cameras and UV markers, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced today.

Designed to help fight crime, the money from the £5 million Small Retailers Grants Fund is being allocated to around 1,000 small retailers across England. In addition 72 partnerships made up of groups of small businesses and local authorities will receive grants to help improve their neighbourhoods and reduce crime.
The fund is a key part of the Retail Crime Action Plan (RCAP) which was published in August 2009 and was drawn up in conjunction with the retail industry. It sets out a broad range of actions to tackle crimes against retailers and small businesses.
The grants are being used to:
• purchase security equipment for individual retailers such as CCTV, infrared security cameras, security shutters and rollers, safes, alarms, anti-fraud equipment such as UV markers to detect counterfeit notes and anti-graffiti paint; or
• fund partnership projects benefiting larger groups of small business. In Castleford, Wakefield 96 businesses will have a new Alert Box system installed. The system is described as an electronic “Neighbourhood Watch” allowing groups of retailers in an area to alert each other to any suspicious activity or crime by simply pressing a button.
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:
“This fund was set up to provide real help to the small businesses that need it the most and I am delighted that more than 1,000 retailers will benefit from the increased security these grants will provide.

“It is just one part of the government’s work to target the crimes that affect businesses, especially during an economic downturn. We will continue working closely with the industry and police to ensure action is being taken to keep crime down.”
One partnership to receive a grant was the E11 Business Improvement District (BID) in Leytonstone, London. They received £50,000 to pay for a major CCTV system covering the town centre, providing reassurance to both local businesses and the community. The new system will include facial recognition and Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology. The E11 group met Mr Campbell today to talk about the work they are planning to carry out with the grant.
Fawaad Shaikh, Chairman of the E11 BID, said:
“It’s great that we’ve been given this money and it’s a testament to the strong partnership between us, the council and the Home Office that our bid was successful.
“This is a project that never would have happened without that and the businesses have supported us 100 per cent. It’s so crucial for a town centre and its retailers to feel secure and this project will help us do that.”
Councillor Terry Wheeler, Waltham Forest Council Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Investment, said:
“Securing this funding is a great achievement and it just goes to show how hardworking and enterprising Waltham Forest’s business community is.
“This is a real boost after a difficult year and should help to ensure the E11 BID companies are even more successful in the future.”
The RCAP was developed with the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG). It looks at what more can be done to help victims of business crime and encourage work between businesses, the Police and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
As well as the Small Retailers Grants Fund the Home Office also published an online risk assessment tool for businesses that was developed by crime prevention experts. Small business owners can complete the tool online to identify simple things they can do to improve the security of their store and who they can contact for help.

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Over £700 million of affordable and easy to access funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) has been approved for nearly 3,000 small businesses across the UK, through participating national banks.

At the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, the Government announced that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) could benefit from up to £4 billion of EIB finance between 2008-2011. Small businesses access the funds through intermediating national banks, which then lend the finance on a matched funds basis. In the first year the target was for UK banks to secure £1 billion of finance for SMEs from the EIB. This was achieved, with banks having now secured a total of £1.39 billion from the EIB.
Together with a range of other measures being implemented by the Government to support UK businesses, this scheme will help to ensure that well managed small businesses in the UK continue to have access to the best support available.
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Ian Pearson MP, said:
"Support for SMEs is key to driving growth in the UK, so I am delighted that small businesses are benefiting from this finance. This forms part of the Government's continued commitment to help SMEs access the finance they need to take their businesses forward, which is vital to our long-term growth strategy.
I want to encourage all businesses to get in touch with their local banks to find out if they can get access to this funding; it is an easy process and certainly worth pursuing".
Simon Brooks, European Investment Bank Vice President said:
"The EIB's ongoing support for small and medium sized enterprises in the UK through cheaper, simpler and more flexible loans will enable increased investment to expand business opportunities and create new jobs in difficult times. We wish to encourage continued contact between firms and partner banks to allow more companies to benefit from the extensive financial support available."
John Wright, National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:
"The FSB welcomes the news that nearly 3,000 SMEs have benefited from low cost EIB loans. We continue to urge non-participating banks to enter the scheme to make the loans available to more SME clients. Tracking research by the FSB shows that credit conditions for SMEs continue to stabilise, with more requests for credit being accepted. Further promotion of EIB loans will continue to help the smallest companies through the recovery."

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Business leaders have hailed the Government’s flagship Train to Gain programme, saying it has helped them provide vital training to their staff during the downturn.

Both large and small businesses have reaped the benefits of Government funded training support, which is backed up by figures released today by the Learning and Skills Council.
In a survey of employers who use the training initiative, 80 per cent said they were likely to recommend Train to Gain to other employers and use it again themselves. A significant number of employers (41 per cent) also said Train to Gain had helped them cope with the recession.
Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said:
“These reports show that businesses value the chance to offer staff high quality training, that they otherwise may not have been able to, through Train to Gain.
“Thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of employees have benefited from the improved skills delivered by our Train to Gain programme. This is crucial for the long term strength of the economy and the ability of individuals to fulfil their potential.
“The fact that so many learners and employers understand how vital skills and training can be shows how effective our support has been during difficult economic times. We remain committed to ensuring that as many people as possible get the skills they need to benefit from the opportunities of growth.”
Bristol based MITIE Group PLC, the strategic outsourcing and asset management company, has more than 49,000 members of staff and has used Train to Gain to help with staff development.

Roger Goodman, Corporate Development Director, MITIE, said:

“Train to Gain has enabled MITIE to support our people with training and qualifications in a way that would not otherwise have been possible. The programme reaches people that are most in need of help and gives them the broad skills they need for work, and a platform from which to go on and develop.”
Small business Best Service Europe LTD, based in Hull, specialises in the design, installation and servicing of bespoke automation systems for the maritime industry.
Managing Director Frank Butterfield, said:
“Train to Gain has revolutionised the way I view our company and how I want it to operate. It has allowed me to identify both our strengths and weaknesses and meet these challenges head on. Everyone is revitalised and keen to continue developing the business. We could even come out of the downturn better placed than when we went into it.”
Since its launch in April 2006, Train to Gain learners have started over 1.54 million qualifications, and there have been over 960,000 qualifications awarded.  More than 175,000 employers have been engaged through Train to Gain brokerage services.  In 2010-11, the Government plans to invest nearly £1 billion through Train to Gain, building on the £38 billion that employers are already investing in training each year.
The support of businesses for Train to Gain is echoed through the LSC’s figures, taken from over 9,000 employer and 7,000 learner interviews. Businesses have acclaimed the success of Train to Gain, with more than 75 per cent declaring it equipped their staff with valuable job related skills which improved performance.
Geoff Russell, Chief Executive of the LSC, said:
“This report shows that businesses have used Train to Gain to equip their employees with vital skills that have had a direct impact on their productivity. This is a critical business benefit in tough economic times.
“Workplace training has never been more responsive or flexible to the needs of employers and it is gratifying that more employers recognise the benefits of training their staff so they have a skilled workforce, ready for the upturn.  The direct benefit to their business productivity and their employees is clear.”
The employer report also found:
·                    Train to Gain continues to perform highly in encouraging employers to engage with training and development of staff.
·                    Employers have been able to train more staff and give them access to higher quality qualifications than they would have done otherwise.
·                    A high number of employers said Train to Gain helped them engage in training and development of their staff.
The Learner report found:
·                    Employees’ satisfaction with Train to Gain remained high with more than 90 per cent pleased with their training.
·                    Nearly 90 per cent of learners said they hoped to get a qualification at the end of their training, with 85 per cent looking for skills that would look good in the future and improved their ability to do their job.
·                    The recession is having a positive impact on employee attitudes towards training making them keen to boost their chances in an unpredictable economic climate.
The Train to Gain evaluation report follows the recent “Going for Growth” and “Skills for Growth” strategies. These detail how the Government is continuing to invest in skills in order to help drive economic growth and productivity as the country emerges from recession.

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Around 7000 graduates’ career prospects have been given a boost, now that over fifty universities have taken up the Government’s £13.6 million fund to provide internships in small businesses by the end of the year as part of the Backing Young Britain campaign to help young people into work.

The graduate internship programme, which is being promoted by the Federation of Small Businesses, will support small businesses to take on – and get the best from – a graduate intern. Graduates will receive practical assistance before, during and after their internship, including mentoring, pre-employment and interview training, and CV workshops.
The Prime Minister welcomed the partnership between the Federation of Small Businesses, the Government and universities across the country.
The Prime Minister said:
“We are committed to supporting young people as they develop in their careers, which is why we have invested over £13 million in new internships, and in the training and mentoring of people taking them up.
“Almost seven thousand places are now being offered by universities across the country, and I am pleased to see so many universities working with the FSB and the Government to give seven thousand graduates this great opportunity and first taste of working life.
“By Backing Young Britain and working with small businesses through these difficult times, we can help ensure that we secure sustainable economic growth for the future.”
In England, more than 50 universities will support graduates and small businesses, as they provide a total of 6,998 internships by the end of this year, rising to 8,500 after that.
Through the internship programme:

• Small businesses will:
• Get financial support to take a graduate intern (around £1300 in wage subsidies on average)
• Have access to a national, single point of contact for advice in getting a graduate intern
• Get access to new skills and fresh talent to help build your business.


• Graduates will:
• Benefit from more than just the internship.  They’ll get other structured support before, during and after their placement – including mentoring, pre-employment and interview training, and CV workshops.
• Get the opportunity to see make a real difference in a small business – a great experience for budding entrepreneurs.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, speaking at a reception in Downing Street to celebrate the success of the UK’s small businesses, said:
“The fact that this scheme has become so successful speaks volumes for the hard work and dedication of UK businesses, who are putting their faith in the workers of tomorrow.
“We need skilled people of all ages to hit the ground running when they begin work, and these internships give them the perfect base from which to start. There is still over £2 million available, and I would encourage all universities to become involved.” 
Interns under this scheme will be placed with small business and businesses in the Government’s priority areas, which were set out in 'Building Britain's Future – New Industry, New Jobs'.
They are:

• low-carbon products and services
• digital industry
• life sciences and pharmaceuticals
• advanced manufacturing
• professional and financial services
• engineering construction
• industrial opportunities presented by the ageing society.

HEFCE has been working closely with Higher Education Regional Associations, Regional Development Agencies and the Federation of Small Businesses to implement the scheme. Universities will be working closely with these organisations, as well as other employer representatives, to promote graduate internships to business.
HEFCE Chief Executive Alan Langlands said:
”Universities have responded enthusiastically with a wide range of practical and flexible proposals to help graduates towards employment through the internships scheme. This will make a significant difference for businesses, particularly those who are taking on a graduate for the first time.'
John Wright, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:
'We have seen encouraging signs that unemployment is beginning to fall, but youth unemployment is still at a record high and small businesses are stepping forward as the key to tackling this challenge. Research by the Federation of Small Businesses shows that one in five small firms say they are keen to take on graduate interns.
'Graduates on placements in small firms will be able to gain invaluable work experience and develop real skills at a time when the job market is sluggish at best, and small businesses will benefit from the skills of this trained and available workforce. Research shows that one in four graduates are offered full time employment in the business at the end of the placement, so graduate internships are a win-win for both the business and graduate and any support small firms can get to put them in place is very welcome.'
An additional £2.4 million is still available for universities to support additional internships if they exceed their initial allocations, and for interested universities that are not yet involved in the scheme.
500 of the 8,500 graduate internship places will be ring fenced to pilot undergraduate internships in summer 2010, with the aim of supporting wider access to the professions.

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Housing Minister John Healey today said that Government will keep help in place for struggling homeowners as new figures published today showed that repossessions court activity has dropped by over a third compared with 2008.

New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders also released today show that repossessions in the last three months of 2009 were down by 13 per cent compared to the previous quarter, and 2 less than the same period in 2008. The total repossessions for 2009 were 46,000 – 29,000 less than the 75,000 originally forecast. This is around half the rate of repossessions during the last recession, when over 75,000 households lost their home in 1991 alone.
The Minister welcomed the CML's conclusions that lower interest rates, greater lender forbearance and Government support had all helped more struggling families stay in their homes than previously predicted and that their original forecast of 53,000 repossessions in 2010 may be a little pessimistic.
Government has tightened the rules so that repossession is always the last resort and more than 330,000 households have benefited from help and advice with their mortgage over the past year.
But Mr Healey is determined that more struggling families can benefit from the help and advice available, which is why he has extended support for homeowners and is funding the Citizen's Advice Bureau to run local events across the country to ensure homeowners can access face to face advice.
John Healey said:
"Today's figures show that it is never too late for hard-pressed homeowners to seek help to stay in their homes. The wide range of Government support, together with lower interest rates and greater lender forbearance, has helped keep repossessions around half the rate of the last recession and stopped thousands of families from losing their homes. I would urge anyone facing difficulties to contact our repossessions helpline or website.
"We've pulled out all the stops over the last year to help struggling homeowners take control of their finances, and it means thousands of families have not faced losing their homes. In fact more than 330,000 families have benefited from help and advice with their mortgage over the past year.
"I have extended the support for those who need it most, and we're working with local advice agencies to make sure people can access the help they need - from free legal advice to, for the most vulnerable households, the backstop Mortgage Rescue Scheme.
"We will keep this support in place because we know pressures on family finances and mortgage payments will continue through 2010.  To cut the special support we've put in place would put families at more risk of repossession.
"But it is not just struggling homeowners who are getting real help from Government when they need it most. We are also helping families to make ends meet, businesses to balance their books and are backing young people with opportunities to learn new skills. And by using the power of Government investment now to build thousands of new homes or develop new green projects the country is better placed to make the most of the recovery."
The Government has put in place a comprehensive range of help and support for homeowners during the downturn, from free debt advice and help with mortgage interest to backstop schemes like Homeowner Mortgage Support and the Mortgage Rescue Scheme.
Over 100,000 people who have gone to www.direct.gov.uk/mortgagehelp for advice, following the Government's "It's Your Home" campaign. Advertisements have appeared in local newspapers and radio stations in 86 repossession "hotspots" urging struggling homeowners to seek early help to keep their home.
New figures today show that in the last year thousands of people have already received help through the mortgage rescue process, with the majority of people receiving help early on. More than 15,000 households have received free advice from their local authority since January 2009, with over 1100 receiving tailored information, or referral to their lender or independent money adviser between October and December.
In the last three months, over 9,000 cases facing legal action were seen by court desk advisers, of which over 7,500 had the immediate risk of losing their home lifted – meaning four out of every five struggling households advised were able to stay in their homes beyond the hearing.
And the last resort Mortgage Rescue Scheme has helped 1200 households stop the immediate threat of repossession, with a further 544 accepting an offer from a Registered Social Landlord to sell and rent back their property so they could stay in their homes. A total of 276 homeowners have been helped since the scheme's launch last year.
Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that claims leading to a Court order have fallen in 2009 by more than 35 per cent compared to 2008 and claims for mortgage possession by lenders between October and December 2009 were 26 per cent lower than during the same period last year. Of the mortgage possession claims that led to orders, 46 per cent were suspended.

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Thousands of lone parents will get extra help to get training and work experience while their children are at nursery school. They will also be able to keep £50 of their wages before losing any benefit if they get jobs for less than 16 hours a week, Yvette Cooper said today.

• Yvette Cooper announced that parents of three to six year old children in South London, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Tees Valley will be the first to get this extra help through new Progression to Work Pathfinders.
• The new plans will help lone parents to start preparing for work through things like training, work experience or getting CVs ready, or to find jobs that fit with nursery and school hours.
• There will be an obligation on lone parents to take up help, but only during hours when their children are at school or nursery school. The aim is to ensure that those parents with young children remain close to the labour market and are ready to look for a job when the time is right, rather than losing all contact with the working world.
• Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper said:
• “Helping parents into jobs so they can support their families is the best way to lift children out of poverty. We know that around 80 per cent of lone parents are already working or would like to work. We want to help them do that in a way that also supports their family life.
• “We are giving parents more support to get ready to go back to work while their children are at nursery school, but in return we do expect people to take up this extra help on offer.”
• Unemployed parents already get help to find a job as they drop their children off at school. The £10 million School Gates Employment Initiative is funding 25 Local Authorities in the most deprived areas of the country to help out of work parents into jobs.
• Three in five lone parents already work by the time their youngest child reaches ten – a figure which has been rising over the past decade. According to the latest Household Labour Force Survey (2009 Q2), around 80 per cent of all lone parents and around 70 per cent of lone parents with a youngest child under the age of seven are either working or would like to work. Figures show that 635,000 lone parents have been helped into work through the New Deal for Lone Parents since 1998.

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There is one month left to respond to HM Revenue and Customs’ consultation Working with Tax Agents.

The consultation, launched at the Pre-Budget Report on 9 December last year, closes on 3 March.
It invites views on: 
·        greater disclosure by HMRC to professional bodies where there is evidence of members’ poor technical performance or unprofessional conduct;
·        modernised ways to tackle deliberate wrongdoing by tax agents, including access to working papers, a tax geared penalty and greater publicity; and
·        high volume agents who make large numbers of claims that have little or no merit.
Dave Hartnett, HMRC Permanent Secretary for Tax, said:
“We think there is a clear case for powers that are carefully focused on the small minority of agents whose approach to their work brings the profession as a whole into disrepute.
“If taxpayers are to get the standard of service they deserve we have to work with agents in an open and positive atmosphere. This consultation is about achieving that. We are interested to hear your views.”
Responses can be sent to:
powers.review-of-hmrc@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk, or
HMRC Review of Powers: Room 1/72, 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ.

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Three new design innovations to tackle mobile phone crime, including a device that locks a phone and alerts the owner if it is taken away from them, have been unveiled today.

The prototypes were developed by teams of designers and technology experts as part of the Mobile Phone Security Challenge, an initiative from the Home Office Design and Technology Alliance and the Design Council, with support and funding from the Technology Strategy Board.
The aim of the challenge was to protect mobile phone users from crimes such as mobile phone identity fraud, which rose by over 70 per cent in 2009, to make phones more secure and to prevent unauthorised use of mobiles for electronic 'contactless' payments, soon to be become widespread in the UK.
The solutions are:
* i-migo - a small device which the user keeps about their person. The i-migo sounds an alert and locks the handset if it is taken out of a set range - either through theft or loss. The i-migo also provides automated backup of important data using Bluetooth technology;
* The 'tie' solution - this electronically matches a handset to a SIM card and protects data stored on the handset with a password and encryption. If stolen, the handset cannot be used with another SIM and data such as saved passwords, browsed websites, and contacts cannot be accessed by criminals, who can use it to defraud victims, by hacking into online bank accounts; and
* TouchSafe - aimed at making "M-Commerce" transactions more secure by using a small card worn or carried by the user, who discreetly touches the phone to the card to enable the transaction. Touch Safe uses the same Near Field Communication (NFC) technology currently used by the Oyster travel card.
The three working prototypes will be on display from the 15 - 18 February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the mobile industry's annual trade show. The Design and Technology Alliance and the Design Council will be calling for the industry to protect their customers by adopting these innovative security technologies.  Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:
"Overall crime has fallen since 1997 but as new technology creates new opportunities for the user it can also provide criminals with opportunities as well. This is where designing out crime can make a real difference and we are leading the way by using technology to protect the public.
"I believe the solutions developed by this challenge have the potential to be as successful as previous innovations like Chip and Pin, which reduced fraud on lost or stolen cards to an all time low, and would encourage industry to continue working with us and take them up."
Joe McGeehan, Alliance member and managing director, Toshiba Europe and director for communications research, Bristol University, said:
'With the rapid growth in mobile phone usage, and particularly the smart phone, more and more people are carrying sensitive information on their handsets thereby increasing their vulnerability to identity theft. It is essential that individuals have the ability to protect themselves against such crime. The Alliance has been encouraging the mobile communications industry to provide better, more user-friendly and innovative tools, for this purpose.
"The recent 'Challenge' was an initiative taken by the Alliance to bring top design organisations and high tech companies together to develop such tools."
The technologies were developed in consultation with experts from some of the biggest phone companies and manufacturers.
David Kester, Alliance member and chief executive, Design Council:
"It's about thinking smarter than criminals. Designers have provided innovations that are one step ahead; new phones are still desirable to consumers but they're useless to criminals if they're equipped with these new concepts. The technology behind each of these ideas provides UK companies with promising business opportunities." 
David Bott, Alliance member and director of innovation programmes, Technology Strategy Board, said:
"The ability of the Technology Strategy Board to use its networks and stimulate collaboration between technology and design companies has been a very fruitful experience for all involved. With our goal of accelerating innovative products to market, we have been very pleased to fund this challenge."
Steve Babbage, security technologies manager and group chief cryptographer, Vodafone Group R&D, said:
"Security is likely to be an increasingly important issue for consumers in the coming years. These prototypes show real working solutions that could reduce mobile phone crime and make phone users, their identities, their sensitive data and their cash safer."
Jack Wraith, secretary of the Communications Crime Strategy Group, said:
"The telecommunications industry welcomes the innovative work that has and is being done by the Alliance Against Crime and the Design Council in making the operation of mobile phones a more secure experience for the consumer.
"The winning prototypes from the challenge demonstrate that design and security can go hand in hand."
Previous advances in technology have led to unexpected new forms of crime; email heralded the phenomenon of 'phishing', ATMs precipitated the new crime of 'card catching' and online banking gave rise to 'key logging', used by fraudsters to track the input of secret passwords and account numbers.
However, there are also many examples of technology being applied successfully to reduce crime - for example, British Crime Survey figures show theft of vehicles has reduced by 51 per cent since 1997 as a result of improved security being designed into the vehicle, and an evaluation of houses built to the Association of Chief Police Officer's Secured By Design (SBD) standards showed that these experience 26 per cent less crime than non SBD houses, and residents fear of crime is lower. The introduction of Chip and Pin has helped reduce fraud on lost or stolen cards to its lowest total since the industry began collating fraud loss figures in 1991.

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An extra month has been added to the deadline for the Government Scrappage Scheme today, allowing manufacturers and dealers more time to prepare for and operate the exit phase of the Scheme.  This change was announced by Government following requests from car manufacturers for more time to prepare dealers and inform consumers.

Previously due to complete in February, the Scheme, which is jointly run by the Government and car manufacturers, will now run until the end of March or until the money runs out, whichever is the sooner.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:
“Against the background of the economic downturn the Scrappage Scheme has proved a great success, driving UK car sales, protecting jobs and supporting the supply chain for car manufacture at a time when this sector needed it most.
“If you’re considering buying a new car, you should place your order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, because the budget is strictly limited.” 
In the final stages of the Scrappage Scheme manufacturers will be apportioned order quotas to aid an orderly close down.
Notes to editors:

·        Government will write to all manufacturers formally to agree these changes so the Scheme can run up until the end of March.
·        By 24th January 330,722 new vehicle orders were taken under the Scrappage Scheme since it was announced in the Budget in April 2009.
·        Under the final stages of the Scrappage Scheme manufacturers will be apportioned order quotas to aid an orderly close down of the Scheme.
·        Changes to the Scheme announced in September meant:
o       The Scheme was extended to vans over 8 years old rather than the previous 10 year requirement
o       The age qualification for cars was changed by 6 months to extend the benefits to cars registered on or before 29 Feb 2000 (V registration)
·        After listening to the needs of the industry, Government provided an additional £100 million of funding for the Scrappage Scheme. This was approved in October and the Scheme now will cover up to 400,000 transactions.
·        The Scrappage Scheme figures are updated on a weekly basis, with all available statistics on the BIS website here: http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/sectors/automotive/scrappage/page51068.html
DETAILS OF THE SCHEME
·        The £2,000 grant is made up of £1,000 from government with matched funding from vehicle manufacturers. It applies to commercial vans (up to 3.5 tonnes) as well as cars. 
·        38 manufacturers (forty one marques/brands)  have signed up to take part in the Scheme: Allied Vehicles,  Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Daihatsu, FIAT, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Iveco , Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, London Taxis International, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, MG Motor, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, Renault, Renault Trucks , Rolls Royce, SAAB,  SEAT, SECMA UK, Skoda, SsangYong, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen & Volvo.
How to apply
·        The dealers will do all the paperwork for motorists participating in the Scheme and arrange for the old vehicle to be scrapped. The dealer will check that the vehicle being traded in and the new one being bought qualify under the Scheme:-
OLD VEHICLE
·        Car or small van not exceeding 3.5 tonnes
·        Registered in United Kingdom on or before 29 February 2000, for cars or on or before 28 February 2002, for vans
·        Currently registered with DVLA or DVA to the registered keeper
·        Has been registered to the customer continuously for 12 calendar months before the order date of the new vehicle
·        Has a UK address on the registration certificate (V5C)
·        Has a current MOT test certificate  or one that has expired no more than 14 days before the order for a new vehicle was placed      
·        Has a current tax disc  or has a tax disc that has expired no more than  14 days before the time of the order
·        Is insured when the order for the new vehicle is placed
NEW VEHICLE
·        Passenger car or small van up to 3.5 tonnes
·        First registered in the UK on or after the date the Scrappage Scheme was launched and declared new at first registration in the UK with no former keepers
·        UK specification vehicle (can include left-hand drive vehicles that meet UK specifications)
·        First registered to the same registered keeper as the registered keeper of the eligible vehicle to be scrapped
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.

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