Archive for December 6th, 2013
Friday, December 6th, 2013
During yesterday’s Autumn Statement debate in the House of Commons, Tamworth’s MP Christopher Pincher praised George Osborne on his proposals to clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion across the UK.
Mr Pincher said, “I congratulate my right hon. Friend on doing the right thing and clamping down on tax avoidance and evasion, that will add a further £6.8 billion to Treasury revenues over the next five years, but can he estimate the extent of the revenues that were forgone because of avoidance and evasion during Labour’s supposed boom years? Is this not another example of our having to clean up after Labour’s failure?”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, “We are increasing yield by £40 billion over the current Parliament. It is not just a question of the specific measures that we take to deal with tax avoidance; it is also a question of the resources that we provide for the fraud and tax avoidance units of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Let me take this opportunity to praise HMRC for the incredible job that it has done.
“We must ensure that we collect the revenues that are due. Of course, we want to live in a society in which people pay lower taxes, which is why we raised the personal allowance in order to cut income tax, and why I have announced measures to cut business rates for shops and the like. However, people must pay the taxes that are due because they cheat the rest of the country when they do not, and that is why we have taken action to deal with tax avoidance.”
Friday, December 6th, 2013
Members of the public planning on getting a tattoo are being urged to think before they ink – and ensure that the studio or artist is properly registered under the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1982.
Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council’s Environmental Health department is responsible for the inspection and registration of all premises where tattooing, piercing, acupuncture and electrolysis is carried out – and all such studios must be registered before they can operate, to ensure that they are safe, hygienic and comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
Once the premises has been inspected and approved, the council will issue a Certificate of Registration, which must be prominently displayed. If a tattooist is not displaying a valid certificate, they are operating illegally and should be reported to Tamworth Borough Council’s Environmental Health department on 01827 709709.
Members of the public are also being warned that it is an offence to tattoo anyone under the age of 18 – even if they have the consent of a parent.
A number of tattoo studios in Tamworth have reported a rise in the number of underage people asking for tattoos – in many cases, bringing a parent along with them. It is a criminal offence to provide a tattoo for anyone under the age of 18 – regardless of parental consent. Tamworth Borough Council is urging anyone who is aware of underage tattooing being carried out to report it directly to the police on 101.
Cllr Stephen Doyle, Cabinet member for Environment, said the Environmental Health department regularly visits all tattoo studios in the borough and works with the businesses to ensure the risk to public health is eliminated by good practices, safe environments and competent people carrying out the procedures.
He said, “We take a very strong line on unlicensed tattooists, as safeguarding public health is a top priority for us. We would encourage anyone planning a tattoo to make sure they go to a reputable, registered tattooist, and to report anyone they know of who is carrying out tattoos without being properly registered.
“We are also keen to stamp out the unlawful tattooing of people under the age of 18, and call on the public to report this to the police.”
During yesterday’s Autumn Statement debate in the House of Commons, Tamworth’s MP Christopher Pincher praised George Osborne on his proposals to clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion across the UK.
