News
Apply for Small Business Rate Relief before September 1st
In England and Wales small businesses are entitled to small business rate relief if the rateable value of their premises is less than £15,000 (£21,500 in London). Special rules apply for businesses that own more than one property (but with a total rateable value below this limit). Research from the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests that fewer than half of the 870,000 small businesses across England which qualify for the scheme have applied for it. The survey, which was carried out in 2006, reveals that the take-up…
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Waste Strategy Should Focus on Business
The House of Lords Science Committee have called on the Government to extend its efforts on waste reduction from solely making demands of consumers, and to concentrate on reducing the high waste levels of companies.
The committee's report, Waste Reduction, calls on the Government to restructure local authority waste targets which currently focus on decreasing the weight of domestic waste sent to landfill. The committee call for a more 'holistic' approach to waste reduction by amending the costs and targets imposed on local…
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Nine Million Fake Cigarettes Seized
Customs officials have seized nine million fake cigarettes worth £1.57m in duty, which were destined for the streets of Burnley.
The massive haul of cigarettes was made on August 5th when UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers swooped on the port of Felixstowe, Suffolk.
The cigarettes arrived in containers from Namibia and were described as containing charcoal, but when officers opened the load they found it packed with fake cigarettes.
Mr Jim Jarvie, deputy director for central region UKBA, said: "This…
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