Government Announcements

Cameron: Continued austerity measures and increased credit for businesses

18 May 12

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the Government will refuse to back down on deficit reduction plans and pledged to boost credit for businesses and households, in a speech made yesterday on the UK's economy.

The Queen's speech and small businesses

10 May 12

The Queen's speech during the State Opening of Parliament marked the beginning of the Parliamentary session yesterday, and outlined the Government's proposed policies and legislation, many of which will impact on the UK's businesses.

Government publishes potential business contracts worth £70 billion

27 Apr 12

£70 billion worth of potential future government contracts have been published by cabinet office minister Francis Maude and business secretary Vince Cable, in a bid to boost UK economic growth.

HMRC apologises for slip in contact centre service

20 Apr 12

HMRC has apologised after callers were unable to get through to call centres in the days following the Easter weekend, blaming 'extremely high levels of calls' from taxpayers.

Big six energy deal to benefit households and businesses

12 Apr 12

An agreement between the UK's 'big six' energy companies, meaning they will be required to tell customers if they are overpaying and allow them to switch to a better deal , is to cut the bills of millions of consumers and businesses, according to the Government and business groups.

Charities raise concerns over tax relief cap on donations

11 Apr 12

UK charities have criticised Chancellor's George Osborne's comments regarding tax avoidance by top earners in the UK, claiming they will damage philanthropic giving.

Average weekly state pension rises

11 Apr 12

The average weekly state pension for 2012/13 has risen by £6 from £118 to £124 according to Government estimations following changes which came into effect last week.

Chancellor to 'take action' on top-level tax avoidance

10 Apr 12

Chancellor George Osborne has admitted he was 'shocked' by the level of tax avoidance taking place by some of the top earners in the country, after being shown confidential tax returns as part of a study by HMRC.

Government to explore new workplace pension options

10 Apr 12

The Government is to explore new types of workplace pension schemes in order to give firms and employees more certainty about the amount of income they can expect to pay out or receive, says minister for pensions Steve Webb.

£1 billion youth employment programme launched

05 Apr 12

A new £1 billion programme aimed at helping 18 to 24 year olds into work and training has been launched by the Government in a bid to tackle youth unemployment.

New business regulation body launched

04 Apr 12

The Government has launched a new independent body to monitor business regulation in a bid to give businesses a voice in policy and red-tape decision making.

Sunday trading laws to be relaxed over Olympics

02 Apr 12

Sunday trading laws will be suspended for eight weekends over this year's Olympic and Paralympic games, if a proposed Bill is passed through Parliament.

Consultation for simpler income tax for SMEs opens

29 Mar 12

The Government has opened a consultation document regarding income tax simplification for small businesses, including the introduction of a 'cash basis' for tax calculations and simplified expenses, following announcements made by George Osborne in the Budget.

Pension auto-enrolment thresholds confirmed to rise

28 Mar 12

The earnings thresholds for automatic pension enrolment will be aligned with tax and national insurance contributions, the Government has confirmed following consultations.