howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
courtesy of the telegraph.
Figures to be published by the Office of National Statistics are expected to show the economy shrinking in the second quarter of 2011 - a period which included bank holidays for Easter and the Royal wedding.
The first quarter of the year saw growth coming in at 0.5 per cent - with ministers braced for a fall to around 0.2 per cent for the second quarter, piling the pressure on the coalition as it seeks to deliver its programme of public spending cuts.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, uses an article in The Sunday Telegraph to vow the government will "stick to our plan" of deficit reduction and to "go for growth"
He says more must be done to stop businesses being "weighed down" in red tape. "When we're faced with choices in government, we should always choose growth," he argues.
Ministers will this week seek to ease pressure on the crucial retail sector by announcing a major simplification of the various laws governing the sale of "age-restricted" goods.
They will outline plans to simplify the current regime which sees more than 20 separate pieces of legislation affecting what can and cannot be sold to different age groups.
In total almost three-quarters of the current regulations are set to be done away with altogether while others will be combined.
For example, it is currently an offence to sell most fireworks to people under the age of 18, while "caps" for toy guns can be sold to 16 year-olds.
Christmas crackers cannot be sold to those under 16, while it is also illegal to sell most knives - including kitchen knives - to anyone under 18.
Computer games have age restrictions of 12 and 15 while the those over 17 can buy cross bows and air rifles. Retailers are also banned from selling aerosol paints party poppers, liquor chocolates and petrol to minors.
Laws governing the sale of "poisons" are also likely to be changed or done away with because they currently apply to retailers who sell common household cleaning products.
A coalition source said: "There will not be a free for all in terms of selling dangerous goods to young people - far from it - but there is an urgent need for the current complexity of laws and regulations to be greatly simplified."
The blitz will be trumpeted by ministers as the first concrete results from the coalition's 'Red Tape Challenge', launched by David Cameron in April, which invited businesses to use a website to demand changes to burdensome regulations.
Ministers see the retail sector as crucial in helping the economy recover. Last month retail sales rose 0.7 per cent but this was on the back of heavy discounting by leading stores.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
it looks like we are heading in for dire straits due to the staus quo of a goverments crash course in cuts,cuts and more cuts,very unyeilding indeed.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
There are sound reasons many things are age restricted - however what is infuriating and makes shop keepers lives difficult is the lack of standardisation.
But lets be honest this is not what is holding retail businesses back is it.
It does not help but what is holding them back is economic uncertainty reducing consumers discretionary spend and reducing the propensity to spend.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think it is about making life easier, certainly will not help sales.
when a youngster just out of school has to remember all the various age restrictions it is inevitable that mistakes will be made at busy times.
let's not forget it is the staff member that pays the fine, a hefty amount when most are on the minimum wage.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
It comes to something when the Chancellor of the Exchequer chooses to get his name in print by easing the restrictions on the sale of explosives and poisons.
His 'go for growth' would be far better focused on employment than high street spending.
Is there not another thread here about the opening of a costume hire business in the town? There was mention there of a forward thinking landlord, more of the same is needed to fill out high streets across the land with small start-up businesses such as this and the plumbers.
But, instead we may look forward to big retailers cornering the market in all things Crippen and Fawkes.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
If you read most of the small print you will find that although the employee may (or may not) get hit with a small fine, the business owner will be hit with much more.
If one if our staff allows someone to smoke in the bar the penalty is £50 to the smoker. But up to £2500 to me. I think that's unfair.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
There is much to be discussed around the phrases; "allows" and "up to". It is, perhaps, that the smoking ban was/is 'total' is where the unfairness lies?
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
I agree Tom and I think that smoking rooms ought to have been made a 'licensable activity' under the licensing act of 2004. But laws which create grey areas are bad laws.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
from the mail today, so much for the hot air from dave and george.
Britain's businesses are spending up to £14,200 each to comply with the growing thicket of government-inspired rules and regulations, a survey revealed yesterday.
Despite promising to eliminate red tape, the Coalition is piling ever greater amounts of paperwork on small and medium-sized companies, according to the Forum of Private Business.
The blizzard of rules and regulations - much of them created by the last government but some still emanating from the Coalition - includes administering complex changes to tax codes, maternity benefits, paternity leave and health and safety legislation.
This growing burden now costs up to £17billion a year and threatens to hamper the ability of businesses to create jobs and kick-start Britain's faltering economic recovery.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
dire strates then,not so status quo.by the way both are appering in dover soon.
