A raft of measures designed to boost high streets and local economies has been announced by Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles. A number of measures to support businesses were announced by the Chancellor George Osborne in December’s Autumn Statement. These included: capping business rate rises at two per cent for 2014/15 extending the […]
The UK unemployment rate has dropped to 7.1 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS data shows the number of people out of work fell by 167,000 to 2.32 million in the three months to November 2013. The fall means the unemployment rate is almost at […]
The average annuity rate increased by a record 13 per cent in 2013, according to research from MGM Advantage. The MGM Advantage Annuity Index found that an average annuity bought in December 2013 will generate £7,560 more over retirement compared to an equivalent bought in December 2012. The index looked at level annuities without guarantees, […]
Exclusive analysis of data from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection reveals we are set to receive 290,000 immigrants from the United Kingdom this decade – more double the arrivals from the 90s. The data also reveals different waves in which countries have arrived in Australia, with Italians peaking in the 50s, the Vietnamese in the […]
The consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation dropped to two per cent in December 2013, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced. This is the first time the CPI rate has been at the Government’s two per cent target since November 2009. The ONS attributed the fall to slowing price rises for food […]
Childcare costs rose by an average of 19 per cent in the year to December 2013, according to the results of a survey by Findababysitter.com. The childcare website collected data from 231,000 nannies, childminders and other childcare professionals and found that employing all types of childcarers increased in 2013. Key findings from the report: The […]
Total UK production was unchanged in the month to November 2013, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data revises down its earlier forecasts for the manufacturing and construction sectors, hinting that the economic recovery is not yet secure. Key findings from the latest ONS Index of Production: Total […]
A recent report has revealed the potential for Australia’s dairy export to explode over the next 5 years providing an excellent opportunity for overseas businesses to tap into this lucrative market. The continued growth in demand for Australia’s dairy products in countries such as Japan and Singapore are particularly relevant for cheese manufacturers where close […]
Investment Business (Approved Managers) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 Last year we told you that the BVI had introduced a new ‘regulation light’ regime for the recognition and approval of Investment Managers and Advisers. The essence of the new regime was to strike the right balance of flexibility, cost and effective regulation http://www.folioadmin.com/news/bvi-approved-investment-managers-regulation-light. In practical terms, the […]
The concept of sexual harassment at workplace in India often connotes sexual offensive behavior, power exploitation or discriminatory background. Such harassment can be in a form of a single act or a continuous one. Sexual Harassment is repeatedly confused with physical actions only; however the judicial system has brought under its ambit mental agony too […]
Key indicators for the health of the UK’s manufacturing and services sectors reached all-time highs in the final quarter of last year, according to a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) of nearly 8,000 businesses uses a set of indicators, known as balances, to assess the health […]
Car insurance premiums are too high and should be reduced through “far-reaching” reforms, a report by the Competition Commission (CC) has said. The CC’s report said that the “complex chain” that sees insurers of at-fault motorists covering the costs of replacement cars and repairs for claims managed by insurers of ‘non-fault’ drivers has led to […]