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New penalties for illegally selling cigarettes, alcohol and fuel come into effect from 1 April.

People who buy cigarettes or alcohol on holiday are often unaware that it is illegal to sell them on to friends, family or others without paying the proper excise duty.
And it is also illegal to use red diesel - which has a lower rate of duty and is only for off-road use in farming, fishing and construction - in road vehicles to avoid paying a higher rate of excise duty.
But from 1 April, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will introduce new penalties to prevent abuse of the excise tax system.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:
“Defrauding excise is not worth the risk. The changes we are introducing this week make the tax system fairer because they help us crack down on those who try to avoid paying tax.”
The new penalties apply to the public, anyone registered to pay excise duties and anyone who should be registered to pay excise duties. These duties are charged on alcohol, oil products such as petrol and diesel, and tobacco.
The penalties will apply where someone:
·         Handles goods on which excise duty has neither been paid nor deferred;
·         Uses a product in a way that means more excise duty should have been paid; or
·         Supplies a product at a lower rate of excise duty knowing that it will be used in a way that means a higher rate of duty should be paid.
If someone is caught, the new penalty will be a percentage of the potential lost revenue to the Exchequer. Penalties will range from 10 per cent of the possible lost revenue to 100 per cent.
In addition, anyone running a business selling goods that have excise duty on them can be penalised if an employee or advisor commits a “wrongdoing”. The penalty can be avoided if the business can show that it has taken reasonable care to avoid this by, for example, setting up systems and procedures to prevent the wrongdoing.
And under the new penalties, company directors and secretaries can also become liable for a penalty if, for example, they gain personally from a deliberate wrongdoing by an employee.

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Long-term Jobseekers Allowance claimants will be given the guarantee of a job or work placement as part of the Government’s radical next stage of welfare reform.

Publishing a Command Paper – Building Bridges to Work, the Government will offer all JSA claimants who have been out of work for two years a guaranteed job or work placement to prevent long term unemployment as the economy recovers. Claimants will be required to take up the offer if they cannot find other work to make sure people who lost their jobs during recession aren’t left to a life on benefits.
Alongside this, the Government is today laying regulations to abolish old style Incapacity Benefit and announcing new measures for those on sickness benefits. From October all Incapacity Benefits claimants will be reassessed with a new Work Capability Assessment which looks at what they can do and what help they need, rather than on whether they could do their previous job.
More people are expected to be found fit for work and they will be given extra intensive support from Day one to help them into work. People moving onto the new style Employment and Support Allowance will also be given more personalised help with stronger conditions attached so they can prepare to return to work in future.
Today’s measures will help deliver over £1.5bn pounds in savings from welfare reform over the next four years that are now built into the Treasury budget plans.
Government action has already kept unemployment much lower than expected, and the number of people on sickness benefits has fallen slightly during the recession compared to big increases in the 80s and 90s.
Work and Pensions Secretary of State, Yvette Cooper said:
“As the economy recovers, we have to make sure no one is left behind. In the 80s and 90s too many people were abandoned to long term unemployment or sickness benefits, pushing families into poverty, devastating communities and hurting the economy and the taxpayer too. That's why it is more important than ever to press ahead with extra help and welfare reform.
“This is a "something for something" approach which gives people more help alongside a responsibility to take it up so that no one who is fit for work is left to a life on benefits.
“Getting people back to work is good for families, boosts local economies and helps the public finances too.”
Additional help to disabled people will be made available with the creation of a new Work Choice programme from October as well as expanding the Access to Work programme.
The new employment support including the Jobseekers Guarantee will be funded within DWP existing budgets by reshaping the help for long term unemployed through Job Centre Plus and changing the £300m Pathways programme which is not flexible or cost effective enough.
The Command Paper outlines:
- A new guarantee for the long term unemployed of a job or work placement – with a requirement to take it up for those who have been unable to find work for more than two years. Jobs will be provided through extending the Future Jobs Fund as well as private sector and voluntary sector internships and work placements.
- A major overhaul of support and conditions for those on long term sickness benefits including the abolition of old style Incapacity Benefit, and over 10,000 long term claimants each week to be reassessed according to the new Work Capability Assessment which looks at what they can do not what they can’t.
- Changes to the Work Capability Assessment to take better account of people’s ability to adapt to their disability, as well as to be more sensitive to fluctuating conditions such as ME and multiple sclerosis.
- For those whom it would be unreasonable to expect them to move towards work, the ESA Support Group provides additional financial support without the back-to-work activity.
- New personalised support, conditions and timetables for reassessment for those who are currently not fit for  work but may be able to work in future – so they can prepare for work.
- Increased investment and a guaranteed place on Work Choice for ESA customers who have been on benefit for more than 2 years and who want to work.
- Extra intensive help for those found fit for work who have been out of work for years to get them early access to the training and work experience they need to get a job – including support to help manage heath conditions in the work place and specialist help in looking for and applying for jobs. 
The Government expects that the reforms to Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance will deliver over £1.5bn of savings over the next five years and these are built into the Treasury plans. This is on top of £14bn savings from lower than expected unemployment and a further £1.5bn savings from getting more lone parents into work.

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Debtors who believe they can go bankrupt yet hide some of their assets from the Official Receiver have been told to think again by The Insolvency Service.

Bankrupts must disclose all assets, no matter how small, or they face a penalty which could include having their period of bankruptcy restrictions increased by up to 15 years instead of the usual 12 months.   The Official Receiver will also seek to recover such assets.
The new warnings have been prompted by a surge in cases dealt with by Official Receivers where potential bankrupts have attempted to put assets out of reach of their creditors – up to nearly 200 cases this year compared with just 28 in 2008-09.
Recent cases exposed by The Insolvency Service include bankrupts who failed to disclose cash, insurance policies and even cars to the Official Receiver. All were found out and had their period of bankruptcy restrictions extended.  This meant that their ability to borrow, manage a company or even stand for the local council remained limited by the insolvency rules for even longer (see notes).
Senior Official Receiver for the Insolvency Service in Great Britain, Les Cramp, said:
“The Insolvency Service always acts if we think it is in the public interest to do so. It is only fair to the creditors that we seek full disclosure of any assets that might be available.
“Potential bankrupts who want the debt relief offered by this form of insolvency must declare all of their assets straight away.  It is then for the Official Receiver to decide which assets must be sold for the benefit of the creditors and which might be retained by the debtor.”

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New rules for businesses who want to reschedule large tax debts under HMRC’s Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) come into effect next month.

The BPSS gives viable businesses, experiencing temporary difficulties paying their taxes, the opportunity to reschedule their tax payments to a more affordable timetable, as part of a ‘time to pay’ arrangement. These arrangements can cover PAYE, National Insurance, VAT or any other HMRC taxes.
From April 2010, businesses seeking time to pay arrangements on tax debts of £1m or more must provide an Independent Business Review (IBR) in support of their request. Typically, an IBR will include a review of a number of important areas, including: current trading and financial position; profit and cash flow projections; business and financial strategies; management systems; and funding and banking arrangements.
The IBR must be carried out by a qualified professional advisor – such as an accountancy firm or an insolvency practitioner – and be paid for by the business making the request. In many cases, businesses will have already implemented a similar review, for example, in discussions with their banks.
HMRC’s Nick Lodge said:
“In view of the amounts of tax involved, HMRC needs to ensure that decisions about large time to pay arrangements are supported by a comprehensive audit trail, to help guarantee better value for money and fairness for all taxpayers.
“We remain committed to supporting compliant, viable businesses through periods of temporary difficulty by providing time to pay arrangements under the BPSS.”
For further information on BPSS, go to www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2008/business-payment.htm or contact the BPSS helpline on 0845 302 1435. The helpline is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 4pm at weekends.

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HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is urging businesses to get ready for major changes to VAT and PAYE coming in this spring.

The following VAT changes come into effect on 1 April:
·         VAT-registered traders with annual turnovers of £100,000 or more (excluding VAT) will have to file their VAT returns online and pay their VAT electronically;
·         All businesses registering for VAT from April will have to file their returns online and pay electronically;
·         All VAT cheque payments sent by post will be treated as being received by HMRC on the date when cleared funds reach HMRC’s bank account – not the date when it receives the cheque. Businesses must allow enough time for their cheque to reach HMRC and to clear its account no later than the due date shown on their VAT return, or they may be liable to a surcharge for late payment. However, this change does not affect any cheque payments made by Bank Giro; and
·         Anyone issuing an invoice that includes VAT, when they are not entitled to charge it, will be subject to a new VAT wrongdoing penalty. The penalty charged will be a percentage of the amount charged as VAT on an unauthorised invoice.
From May, two key PAYE changes come into effect:
·         All employers must file their Employer Annual Return (P35 and P14s) online by the 19 May deadline – there is no longer a paper filing option for small employers with fewer than 50 staff. File your return on paper, even if it’s before 19 May, and you could receive a penalty.
·         HMRC is introducing new penalties for late payment of PAYE. Under these changes, employers and contractors may incur penalties if they don’t make payments of PAYE, National Insurance contributions, Construction Industry Scheme deductions and student loan deductions on time, and in full. Penalties will be calculated as a percentage of the late amount and, for in-year payments, the percentage charged increases as the number of late payments in the year increases.
To file your VAT or PAYE online, you must first register with HMRC’s online services by visiting www.online.hmrc.gov.uk, clicking “Register” under the “New user” section and then following the instructions.
Stephen Banyard, Director of HMRC’s Business Customer Unit, said:
“If you’re a VAT-registered trader or an employer, make sure you’re up to speed with all the VAT and PAYE changes coming in this spring. If you’re well prepared for the changes, you’ll help avoid a last-minute rush when the new measures take effect.”
HMRC recently launched a ‘super podcast’ covering the VAT and PAYE online filing changes, as well as changes to corporation tax filing and payment coming in next year. It can be downloaded free from HMRC’s podcast pages at www.hmrc.gov.uk/podcasts.
Further information on all the changes is available on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk.

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Today the launch of 'Insulate Today' brings together a group of leading businesses with Sainsbury's Energy and ACT ON CO2 as part of a pilot scheme to make it easier, cheaper and more appealing for quarter of a million employees to insulate their homes and save hundreds of pounds in reduced energy bills.

Devised by we will if you will, 'Insulate Today' is a collaborative effort from Accenture, Aviva,HSBC, Sainsbury's. ACT ON CO2, the Energy Saving Trust EDF Energy.
The companies involved are committed to helping their employees lead more sustainable lives and the 'Insulate Today' initiative will demonstrate this by:
- Working with Sainsbury's Energy (a partnership between EDF and Sainsbury's) to provide exclusive insulation offers to employees - Investing in additional incentives to encourage employees to take up the offers (e.g. offering installed insulation for free to a number of employees, giving away energy monitors to help keep bills down) - Using their extensive internal communication channels to ensure all employees can benefit 
Last year British households wasted over £500m in energy bills through poor insulation with less than one in ten homes having the recommended amount. In fact, most homes can save around £160 every year by getting their loft and cavity walls properly insulated, reducing their carbon footprint in the process. Despite these significant savings, it remains a low priority for most householders who mistakenly believe it is difficult and expensive to install.
'Insulate Today' will play a role in meeting the government's ambitious target of insulating all lofts and cavity walls in the UK by 2015 by directly accessing 250,000 employees via the internal communications channels of some of Britain's biggest employers. 
The Government's recently launched 'Green Homes, Warmer Homes' strategy highlighted the need to overhaul the energy efficiency of Britain's homes with 'pay as you save' green finance to make energy efficiency pay from day one, ensuring up to 7 million British households benefit from eco upgrades by 2020 and securing up to 65,000 jobs in the green home industry
Once the 'Insulate Today' pilot has been completed, results will be used to potentially develop a best practice template for large-scale nationwide employee engagement campaigns. 
Joan Ruddock, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change said: "The Government's ambition is to see all lofts and cavity walls in the UK insulated by 2015. The 'Insulate Today' initiative will make a real contribution towards this target. As an extension of the government's Act on CO2 campaign, Accenture, Aviva, HSBC and Sainsbury's are helping their employees live more sustainable lives by offering exclusive insulation services in partnership with Sainsbury's Energy. Employees will save themselves money and energy as a result." 
David Hall, Campaign Director, we will if you will said: "Mobilising consumers to insulate their homes is a great opportunity to cut the nation's carbon footprint and cut our energy bills at the same time but it requires an innovative and creative delivery model. The collaborative approach of we will if you will brings together a coalition of some of the UK's biggest employers, helping us to target a massive audience through established and trusted channels of communication."

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Advisers at The Leasehold Advisory service (LEASE),  the government funded service providing completely free legal advice on leasehold matters,  report a growing frequency of calls from resident leaseholders who are trying to improve their building or the way it is managed but come unstuck because buy to let owners are not willing - or may just cannot be bothered - to participate in exercising the leaseholders’ right to manage the building.

The right to manage enables leaseholders to appoint their own choice of managing agent. There are a few hurdles to jump in exercising the right to manage, but it is not particularly onerous, especially if there is a group of resident leaseholders leading the project. Those leaseholders have a real interest in improving the building, so working with them is actually one of the easiest ways of protecting your investment as a buy-to-let investor, and all that may be required of you is your agreement to the process, says Nicholas Kissen, Senior Legal Adviser at the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE ).

Leasehold flats can look like the ideal buy to let investment. They are often in urban locations where demand for rented property is high and all the maintenance work is undertaken by the freeholder and managing agents. The tenants cover your costs and all you have to do is sit back and wait while your asset increases in capital value….  Or so it would be in an ideal world.
Of course, we don’t live in that ideal world, and  the credit and property crunch has focussed our minds. Few investor landlords can afford to have void periods so there is a vested interest in taking a more proactive interest in the property to ensure that it remains attractive to potential tenants. Besides,  with property values not escalating as investors originally might  have wished, and some city centre flats actually falling in value, it makes sense to keep a close eye on the maintenance of the fabric of the building to underpin a future sale.
Yet advisers at The Leasehold Advisory service (LEASE),  the government funded service providing completely free legal advice on leasehold matters,  report a growing frequency of calls from resident leaseholders who are trying to improve their building or the way it is managed but come unstuck because buy to let owners are not willing to participate in exercising the leaseholders’ right to manage the building.
The  right for leaseholders to manage the building themselves is an absolute right and cannot simply be denied,. The important thing to remember is that the leaseholders’ management company is under the same obligations as the freeholder would have been and are bound by the lease and its covenants. In practice, the right to manage does not mean that the leaseholders have the right to reduce the  service charges significantly and let the building fall into disrepair. Indeed, leaseholders who have been willing to undertake the whole process of exercising the right to manage in the first place are likely to take a keen interest in the general upkeep and improvement of the building and, in any case, will  generally appoint professional managing agents.
What is the right to manage?
The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 provides a right for leaseholders of flats to force the transfer of the landlord's management functions to a special company set up by them - the right to manage (RTM) company. There is no need to prove that the landlord has done anything wrong – the right to manage is there for the taking whether the landlord's management has been good, bad or indifferent.
If the building is self-contained, includes at least two flats and at least two-thirds of the flats are let to 'qualifying tenants' whose leases were originally granted for a term of more than 21 years, then the residents almost certainly qualify for RTM .
Any number of qualifying leaseholders may set up the RTM company; it does not require the full number of participants at the initial stage, simply enough participants to provide a chairman, some directors and a secretary.
One of the major motivations may be to save money on maintenance and repair works. While this is a sensible objective, the RTM company must adopt a responsible attitude to the long-term maintenance aspects - the building remains in the landlord's ownership and the flats remain the leaseholders' principal financial assets. The RTM company cannot save money by reducing essential services or by allowing the block to deteriorate. The covenants in the lease (which will not be changed in the exercise of the right) should specify service provision and require the property to be maintained as it becomes necessary, not when convenient.
The RTM company and its directors will be legally required to comply with a wide range of company, housing and health and safety law. It should also, like any other landlord, comply with a Government-approved code of management practice. There are two such codes at present, one produced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and one by the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM) which refers specifically to purpose-built retirement property. While compliance with the codes is not mandatory, they do represent best practice (and a useful 'manual') and failure to comply is one of the grounds for an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal – possibly by dissatisfied neighbours - to end the right to manage by seeking to appoint a new manager.
How is the right to manage exercised?
Exercising the right to manage starts with leaseholders' issuing an invitation to all qualifying leaseholders to become members of the RTM company and continues with the service of formal notice on the landlord and .provided the claim is not opposed after a set period of time, the management transfers to the right to manage company (the RTM company) which has been set up by the leaseholders. Once the right to manage has been acquired, the landlord is also entitled to membership of the company.
Getting the procedure right saves a lot of hassle on both sides, and full details are available from LEASE (www.lease-advice.org), who will also be happy to provide free advice over the phone on 020 7374 5380.
So, if you do receive an invitation to join an RTM company, do take it seriously, says Nicholas Kissen and, if in doubt, get in touch with LEASE.

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Eight companies and their collaborative partners have been given grants by the Department of Energy and Climate Change today to explore smart technology.

The grants are part of the UK’s plan to move to smarter energy supplies including smart meters in every home, a smart grid and entire smart cities.
The projects are spread across a range of various technologies supporting smart grid development including storage, distribution load management, demand response controls and a network platform for a future smart grid site in Glasgow. The grants will support smart grid development to a total value of £7.6 million.
The grants were awarded to:
Energy Optimizers Arqiva Ltd Highview Power Storage Rltec Smart Grid solutions National Grid Scottish Hydro Electric Power SP Distribution
Energy minister Lord Hunt said:
"Smart technologies will help manage the massive shift to low carbon electricity such as wind, nuclear and clean fossil fuels.  They will mean more efficient and reliable delivery of electricity, reducing the costs and emissions from electricity generation and transmission. These projects will place the UK on a solid platform to pursue larger scale and integrated projects in the future.
"Globally the business of developing smart grids has been estimated at £27 billion over the next 5 years and the UK has the know-how to be part of that. We want to give companies the opportunities and the support to make sure we develop the technologies we need."
Smart grids are a highly transferrable technology and have the potential to generate significant export earnings for the UK.

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The Government’s updated Forward Programme, setting out all business regulation planned for introduction over the next 12 months, was published today.

The Forward Programme was designed to create more openness and clarity in the regulatory process and enable decisions on new regulations to be taken in the context of the cumulative burden of the Government’s regulatory programme on business and the wider economy. It builds on the cross-Government drive to cut the costs of regulation, which has delivered around £3 billion in annual savings to date.
The new edition of the Forward Programme, the second to be published, follows on from the measures announced as part of the Budget, that will improve the understanding of, and control over, the flow of new regulation, including:

• setting out, from the next Parliament, a Draft Forward Programme of the measures affecting business that the Government intends to consult on over the following 12 months;
• putting more  emphasis on seeking alternatives by ensuring that regulations are only introduced once alternatives and the “do nothing” option has been considered as part of the public consultation process;
• examining the case for a benefit-cost ratio threshold and an affordability analysis when introducing new proposals;
• publishing, for the first time, assessments of government departments’ performance against better regulation principles, to help strengthen their work, improve future delivery and increase business confidence; and


• setting out the ambition for how the costs of regulation can be reduced by a further £6.5 billion, including up to £1.5 billion reduction in the costs of employing staff; up to £1.25 billion less to comply with building, planning and housing regulations, and up to £500 million less to comply with health and safety law.

Ian Lucas, Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform, said:
“Making life simpler for businesses means making the way Government regulates more straightforward and easier to understand and control.
“The updated Forward Programme confirms our commitment to increasing transparency and certainty, and will help businesses better prepare for changes in regulation. It sets out the Government’s major policy priorities, including new measures to tackle climate change and building and sustaining the economic recovery.”
Sir Don Curry, Non-Executive Chair of the Better Regulation Executive, said:
“Delivering better regulation across the whole of Government is key to helping create the best environment for businesses to start up, invest and grow.
“The next steps on the better regulation agenda, set out in the Budget, will strengthen the management of regulation further.  There will be a new annual programme of policy consultations, provision for a fuller public debate on alternatives to regulation and a new assessment of how Government departments are performing against the better regulation agenda. 
“Along with the publication of the latest Forward Programme, great progress is being made to increase transparency and accountability across Government, which is helping to improve business and public confidence in the way Government regulates.”
The latest edition of the Forward Programme, details the impact of planned regulation to the economy, and shows that around £11.6 billion in benefits, and £9.9 billion in costs, will be delivered over the next year as the Government delivers on some of its top priorities, including new measures to tackle climate change and build on the economic recovery. It also provides information on 43 measures that will make life simpler for businesses and deliver more than £300 million in annual savings.

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High-tech equipment, including 'trap houses' fitted with hidden cameras and tagged property, is being used by police to catch burglars thanks to a £2 million cash boost Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced today.

The money from the Securing Homes programme was allocated to 16 forces across the country to buy technology to improve burglary detection. Some of the items purchased by forces included automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems, tracking equipment, forensic scanners, intruder alarms, CCTV and property marking kits.
Some forces have used the funding to set up 'trap houses' and 'trap vehicles'. These are used in areas which police believe are being targeted by burglars. When criminals break into the property or vehicle, they could be recorded by hidden cameras or any items taken may be remote tagged or marked with ultraviolet inks allowing police to quickly track it down and make arrests.
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:
"Burglary has fallen by 54 per cent since 1997 and these are encouraging signs that our pro-active approach to crimes like burglary is having an impact. However, we can still do more and this funding is just one part of a wider strategy to ensure this downward trend continues.
"This new equipment will not only help police catch the criminals who harm communities, it will help prevent crime as well. Once burglars realise the home they're breaking into might be covered by hidden cameras they might start to think twice.
"Alongside this funding we are securing 60,000 homes across the country against burglary and through our Vigilance Programme are tightening the net on known offenders in 35 areas."
Forces are already seeing results thanks to the new equipment. As part of Operation Breaker in Oxford, prolific burglar Jason Medlicott, 35, of Croft Road, Marston was jailed for two years and nine months after being caught breaking into a 'trap room' set up in halls of residence at a university in Oxford. Medlicott initially denied the offence but when officers showed him the video footage he admitted the offence in full.
Detective Superintendent Barry Halliday of Thames Valley Police said:
"This is just one example of how this type of offence is now being investigated. The use of technology supported by methodical detailed investigations not only secures evidence in relation to the one offence, but often leads to other similar offences and those who benefit from burglary being detected and brought to justice." Acting Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police Andy Taylor said:
"Operation Breaker highlights the significant impact this type of activity is having on our ability to continue to improve our performance around burglary detections and build on our significant reductions for this type of offence."
In addition to 'trap house' facilities, Thames Valley Police has increased the number of traffic cameras across its jurisdiction which is linked to its ANPR system 24 hours a day. This makes it even easier for suspect vehicles to be spotted and flagged to police.

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ECGD publishes interim response to consultation on its business principles.

ECGD, the UK export credit agency, today published an interim response to its public consultation on Government proposals to update a number of ECGD’s procedures.
The response, which is available on ECGD’s website, takes into account comments from more than 20 organisations on the proposals, which were first published in December 2009.
Following comments in one response, ECGD has written to all respondents to give them a short period to comment further on some of the proposals. Their views will be taken into account in drawing up the final response to the consultation.
The interim response announced that:
* ECGD will in future follow the Government code on consulting with interested parties, rather than having its own procedures on when to consult.
* Where ECGD reinsures another export credit agency which is a member of the OECD (and, therefore, follows the relevant OECD agreement in respect of bribery), in respect of a UK sub-contract to a main contract being guaranteed/insured by that ECA, ECGD will
1. no longer duplicate that ECA’s anti-bribery due diligence on the main contract. 2. use discretion in applying its own anti-bribery procedures to the UK sub-contracts.
Lord Davies of Abersoch, UK Minister for Trade, Investment and Small Business said:
“I am pleased that ECGD is able to make these changes to its procedures, which should make it more responsive to the needs of British exporters. And the extra time ECGD is allowing for comments on other aspects of the consultation shows clearly that it takes these issues seriously.”

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After four years assessing the work of 36 national regulators and how they interact with millions of businesses nationwide the Better Regulation Executive today publishes the final five Hampton Implementation Review reports.

The final reports on the Charity Commission, the Marine and Fisheries Agency, the Driving Standards Agency, the Football Licensing Authority and the Drinking Water Inspectorate examine how the regulators match up to the principles of effective regulation set out by Sir Philip Hampton in 2005.
The Better Regulation Executive has set out to establish where the recommendations of Hampton and Macrory have been successfully implemented, and where there is still work to do. The reports also aim to help regulators increase openness and transparency, highlight areas for development and spread good practice.
Highlights from the latest reports show that:

• the Charity Commission uses technology effectively to reduce burdens on charities, whilst applying a risk-based and proportionate approach across its regulatory functions;  ;
• the DWI demonstrates a high level of compliance with Hampton principles, developing effective relationships with the water industry and ensuring that a sustainable approach is taken to water supplies;
• the Football Licensing Authority inspectors are respected for their expertise on stadia safety issues, but the organisation needs to embed a more formal approach to risk assessment as a whole;
• the Marine and Fisheries  Agency, while constrained by European regulatory requirements, demonstrates compliance with a number of Hampton principles, but could tackle repeat offenders more effectively; and that
• the DSA seeks to reduce burdens through effective data sharing with other agencies, but could take steps towards greater compliance with Hampton principles by drawing up and publishing enforcement plans to tackle unlicensed driving instructors.

Following the completion of the Hampton Implementation Review process, the Better Regulation Executive will continue to work with regulatory bodies to embed a risk-based approach to inspection and enforcement so as to maintain the momentum and build on the good practice that has been established to date.
Ian Lucas, Minister for Business and Better Regulation, said:
“The organisations which have been assessed through the Hampton Reviews regulate millions of businesses, covering key areas of the UK economy - how they carry out their regulatory activity matters.
We need to ensure that regulation does not hinder business growth or economic prosperity, while also upholding the rights and protections of business and the public.
Striking the right balance will be essential in a regulatory framework fit for the 21st century which creates the right conditions for UK businesses to succeed and grow.”

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Cash for companies to start building smart cities
Eight companies and their collaborative partners have been given grants by the Department of Energy and Climate Change today to explore smart technology.  More

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The Government’s updated Forward Programme, setting out all business regulation planned for introduction over the next 12 months, was published today.  More

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High-tech equipment, including 'trap houses' fitted with hidden cameras and tagged property, is being used by police to catch burglars thanks to a £2 million cash boost Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced today.  More

ECGD publishes interim response to consultation on its business principles.  More

After four years assessing the work of 36 national regulators and how they interact with millions of businesses nationwide the Better Regulation Executive today publishes the final five Hampton Implementation Review reports.  More

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Spring changes for VAT and PAYE
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is urging businesses to get ready for major changes to VAT and PAYE coming in this spring.  More

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Insulation made easy by Britain's top businesses
Today the launch of 'Insulate Today' brings together a group of leading businesses with Sainsbury's Energy and ACT ON CO2 as part of a pilot scheme to make it easier, cheaper and more appealing for quarter of a million employees to insulate their homes and save hundreds of pounds in reduced energy bills.  More

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Buy to let investors missing out on an easy way to boost the value of their flats
Advisers at The Leasehold Advisory service (LEASE),  the government funded service providing completely free legal advice on leasehold matters,  report a growing frequency of calls from resident leaseholders who are trying to improve their building or the way it is managed but come unstuck because buy to let owners are not willing - or may just cannot be bothered - to participate in exercising the leaseholders’ right to manage the building.  More