While the next general election isn’t due until January 2025, or earlier, housing is shaping up to be a key battleground for both parties. It could arguably even decide the election. There seems to be clear blue water developing between the two main parties on this issue ...
The Planning (Agent of Change) Bill was a private member’s bill introduced in Westminster in 2018 by former government minister John Spellar to ‘require specified planning controls in relation to developments likely to be affected by existing noise sources’ ...
The Renters (Reform) Bill was given its first reading in May 2023 after five years of consultation and refinement. The Bill seeks to provide greater flexibility and security for residential tenants in England by imposing additional restrictions and obligations on private landlords. The reforms also look to improve the leasehold system through increased regulation, digitisation and standardisation. A noticeable omission from the Bill, however, is an exemption for private lettings to students ...
Craig Thomas and Sarah Buxton take a look at the recent changes to corporation tax. Policy changes It is fair to say that the UK’s corporation tax rate has been on something of a policy rollercoaster of late. As far back as 2016, when the rate was 20%, George Osbourne announced that he would reduce corporation tax to 17% with effect from 2020 (and even expressed his fervent desire to get the rate as low as 15% thereafter) ...
Dan Sharman and Craig Thomas take a look at the tax treatment of salary sacrifice arrangements. Background HMRC has always had a difficult relationship with salary sacrifice arrangements. On the one hand it acknowledges that such arrangements are a legitimate way of employees and employers reducing their tax liability, whilst on the other hand it has looked for ways in which to reduce the amount of tax leakage occurring from such arrangements ...
The government has published its long-awaited response to the consultation on implementing the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings (HRBs) and wider changes to the building regulations for all buildings. The provisions will be implemented through secondary legislation (The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023 and The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023)) that will come into force on 1 October 2023 ...
“Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing; ’twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed ...
In the latest edition of our HR Improve series, we consider the steps employers can take to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the workplace ...
A recent case has seen trustees apply for and obtain court approval for a trustee petition to wind-up the scheme's sponsoring employers. This is a relatively unusual case, but the trustees had reached a point where no other options were available to them ...
An interesting point has arisen in an unopposed lease renewal case that considered whether a landlord’s break option should be included in a new lease, to allow the landlord to occupy the premises for the purposes of its own business. BMW sought renewal leases of its showroom at 70 Park Lane, London, which was let under four separate tenancies ...
The Scottish Government is proposing to overhaul Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) - giving building owners and occupiers more information than ever before. The potential reforms aim to be targeted and useful – helping pave a clear and achievable path towards achieving net zero. On 25 July 2023, the Scottish Government published its consultation on reforming domestic and non-domestic EPCs to ensure they support future regulations on heat in buildings ...
On 15 June 2023, three groups namely the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP), Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS) and Women in Data, published their collaborative report on the social and economic impact associated with extended paternity leave and pay. Currently in the UK, the statutory entitlement to paternity leave is capped at two weeks, with the weekly rate for paternity pay amounting to the lower of £172.48 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings ...
Following the announcement that visa fees are to be increased, the government has announced a hike in civil penalty fines for employers and landlords who employ or let properties to foreign nationals who do not have the right to work or reside in the UK. The planned increases come as part of government announcements on policy to reduce the number of people living and working in the UK without a legal immigration status ...
The UK government has announced plans to extend recognition of the CE marking ‘indefinitely’ beyond the upcoming deadline of 31 December 2024 for certain products placed on the Great Britain (GB) market, leading to uncertainty over the future of the UKCA marking ...
New Charity Commission guidance may have dropped the phrase “ethical investment” but the need for charities to understand whether they must, should or can invest in line with their ESG aspirations has never been more pressing, as the UK Government presses ahead with its new oil rush following the recent announcement that more than 100 oil and gas drilling licences will be granted for the North Sea in the autumn ...
Property owners in the UK are already feeling the pinch, with a slowdown in activity coupled with economic factors, including high inflation and interest rates - causing a further tightening in the lending market. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulatory regime is another cause for searching behind the sofa cushions for coppers in order to upgrade, update and 'green' existing assets ...
The Responsible Actors Scheme (RAS) was launched on 21 July 2023. Eligible developers that fail to join or comply with the conditions of the RAS will be subject to building control and planning prohibitions. The Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) Regulations 2023 contain the detail of the RAS and are unchanged from the draft Regulations ...
The Government is undertaking a consultation on the secondary legislation required to implement the new public procurement regime established by the Procurement Bill ...
Experis, a global leader in IT professional resourcing, project services and managed services, recently conducted a survey of over 2000 British employers in relation to the employment outlook for 2023. In response, 54% of employers anticipate that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a positive impact in headcount over the next 2 years ...
As the financial services sector has developed and adopted technology, there has been a significant growth in Deferred Payment Credit, more commonly referred to as ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (“BNPL”) by consumers. Demonstrating the scale of growth, news outlets have recently reported that over £10 billion has been lent to consumers by BNPL companies in the last three years ...
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is at the top of the agenda for many organisations. It is a collective term for a business’s impact on the environment and wider society ...
Employees have a right under data protection law to access their personal data processed by their employer. But what is essential and best practice for an employer to consider when responding to such request? There has been a noticeable trend of an upward increase in employee DSARs over the last few years, mainly stemming from employee disputes in the workplace such as grievances and tribunal proceedings ...
The Court of Appeal has partially clarified a significant loophole in the Telecoms Code, which was threatening to prevent the redevelopment of some telecommunications sites. The previous iteration of the Telecoms Code was infamously labelled ‘not one of parliament’s better drafting efforts’ by the High Court ...
25 July marks World In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) day (or World Embryologist Day) recognising the day in 1978 the first baby was born following successful IVF treatment. To mark the day, we ask what employers can do to support employees undertaking IVF. Background Louise Joy Brown was the first ever baby in the world to be born following IVF treatment ...
A recent survey conducted by the charity Pregnant Then Screwed, reported that almost a quarter (24%) of women who told their boss about their fertility treatment did not receive any support at work.In vitro fertilization (IVF) can place an emotional, physical and financial stress on women ...
