6 April 2016 Blog Energy Saving Materials – Stalled changes on the reduced rate of VAT The Finance Bill 2016 had a notable absence of changes to the reduced rate of VAT for energy saving materials (“ESMs”)... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
4 April 2016 Blog New enforcement powers for the Environment Agency Extra powers have been granted to the Environment Agency (EA) to speed up prosecutions for illegal waste site operators... Share this article Bookmark this page 1 min read
4 April 2016 Blog Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch – all systems go On 1 April The National Health Service Trust Development Authority (Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch) Directions 2016 came into force. Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
4 April 2016 Blog PSC regime starts on 6 April – are you ready? These rules, which are aimed at increasing transparency, apply as much to dormant entities as to active ones. In relation to a company limited by shares, a PSC is someone who... Share this article Bookmark this page 3 min read
3 April 2016 Blog Tough treatment for an innovative proposal - what happened to the Saatchi Bill? Following the tragic death of Lord Saatchi’s wife from ovarian cancer in 2011 and a two-year campaign, it was only after a surprise veto by the Liberal Democrats that the Bill was defeated... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
30 March 2016 Blog Restrictions under the Nutrition & Health Claims Regulation to extend to B2B communications? There seems to be a ruling likely from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that ‘commercial communications’ intended for professionals, but with the goal of indirectly reaching consumers, would have the same restrictions apply to them under the nutrition and health claims regulation as apply to foods and supplements marketed directly to consumers... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
23 March 2016 Blog Court of Protection gives guidance to those taking on role of representative in deprivation of liberty cases Those of you who are commissioning care packages in the community which amount to a deprivation of liberty will be aware of the need to make an application to the Court of Protection for an order approving the deprivation. Share this article Bookmark this page 3 min read
23 March 2016 Blog TUPE can still apply if service split on functional lines The Employment Appeal Tribunal has confirmed that the definition of a service provision change can still be satisfied if a single service is split on functional lines when being transferred. There is no requirement that all the constituent activities must be transferred to a single transferee... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
15 March 2016 Blog A case of missing protection - sympathy for Trunki designer but no damages Last week the UK The Supreme Court ruled against the designer of the award-winning Trunki children's suitcase. PMS International Group's competing product, the Kiddee Case, does not infringe Magmatic's registered design rights... Share this article Bookmark this page 3 min read
14 March 2016 Blog Can a landlord’s legal fees be recovered as a service charge? In Fairbairn v Etal Court Maintenance Limited the Upper Tribunal concluded that the landlord of a residential property could not recover, as a service charge, legal costs or settlement sums incurred in satisfying a claim for damages awarded for a landlord’s breach of its repairing obligations... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
11 March 2016 Blog The Bribery Act 2010 and the construction industry Sweett Group plc was recently fined circa £2.3m for failing to prevent its UAE subsidiary from paying a bribe in the region of £680,000.00. Sweett’s UAE subsidiary made a series of inflated payments to a consultant in order to win a project management contract for building a hotel in Abu Dhabi... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read
7 March 2016 Blog New guidance on donations from trading subsidiaries to parent charities On 24 February, the ICAEW, HMRC and the Charity Commission simultaneously released updated guidance on donations made by a subsidiary company to its parent charity, and the thorny issue of donations made in excess of distributable reserves being non-deductible for corporation tax purposes... Share this article Bookmark this page 2 min read