6:47 am, November 28, 2022
Amazon faces £29m tax hike in business rates shake-up
Amazon could see its tax bill jump by £29m next year as a result of changes to business rates set to hit warehouses and online retailers the hardest.
The online retail giant is likely to be among the companies facing big tax hikes in the UK following the chancellor’s Autumn Statement, according to new analysis from real estate adviser Altus Group.
Meanwhile, flagship department stores and hotels could shave millions off their tax bills as bricks and mortar retailers receive greater support.
Government urged to bring forward plan to tackle cancer treatment backlog
The government must say whether it intends to bring forward new plans to address the cancer treatment backlog in the wake of the pandemic, the new Tory chairman of the health and social care committee has said.
Former health minister Steve Brine expressed doubt that the government still intended to bring forward a new cancer treatment plan.
At present, just 61.7 per cent of people in England (the average for 2022/23 so far) receive cancer treatment within 62 days, versus 77.2 per cent before the pandemic. NHS England wants the number of people waiting more than 62 days to return to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023.
Tory MPs seek change to modern slavery laws to ease migrant crisis
Rishi Sunak has been urged by more than 50 Tory MPs to change modern slavery laws with emergency legislation in a bid to reduce small boat crossings of the Channel.
The PM was pressed by the group, including former Cabinet ministers, to rapidly implement a ‘simple’ change in the law to help tackle the issue.
They want changes to modern slavery laws to make it easier for people they believe are ‘bogus asylum seekers’, who say they are victims of trafficking, to be returned.
Slowdown in European doctors working in NHS after Brexit, says think tank
More than 4,000 European doctors have opted not to work in the NHS following the Brexit vote in 2016, research has revealed.
According to analysis from the Nuffield Trust health think tank, the pre-Brexit number of doctor specialists working in the NHS in 2021 was forecast to be 41,321.
However, the research, conducted on behalf of The Guardian, shows the actual figure for 2021 was 37,035 – more than 4,000 fewer than the pre-EU referendum projections.
Free SIM cards for Big Issue vendors
Big Issue vendors are to be given free SIM cards and data vouchers to help them cope with the worsening cost-of-living crisis.
Virgin Media O2 said it will be working with the Big Issue Group to support all the magazine’s vendors.
On average, vendors who use contactless make 35 per cent more than those who don’t.
RSPCA ‘begging’ people not to dump their pets this winter
An animal welfare charity says it is ‘begging’ people not to dump their pets amid rising concerns over neglect and abandonment.
The RSPCA says it has seen a 25 per cent rise in the number of abandonments dealt with by its rescue teams this year, as well as a 13 per cent increase in neglect incidents.
Figures show that to October, its rescuers dealt with 13,159 abandonments – up from 10,519 for the same period the previous year – while the incidents of neglect were at 30,500 by the end of October versus 27,521 over the same period in 2021.
Halfords boss warns move to tax EVs could hold back switch from fuel
The boss of retailer Halfords has hit out at the chancellor’s move to start taxing electric cars, warning it will hold back the switch from petrol and diesel motors.
Chief executive Graham Stapleton told the PA news agency Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement that EVs would no longer be exempt from road tax from 2025 was ‘disappointing’.
He said it could affect the mass adoption of EVs, making them costly to buy and more costly to run. ‘There’s no doubt the duty change on electric vehicles is not helpful. It won’t help the adoption of EVs for sure. EV cars aren’t getting any cheaper quickly and increasing duty at this stage is disappointing,’ he said.
Sunday’s headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
- A tale with two happy endings as Burrows Toyota comes to the rescue of customer who lost wedding ring
- Car Dealer Used Car Awards host Mike Brewer to sell his very own Wheeler Dealers classic
- Our brand is a cool one, says Lamborghini boss
Weather outlook
Many areas of the UK will be mainly dry with lots of sunny spells and patches of cloud, says BBC Weather. Some scattered showers will linger in southern and western areas.
On Tuesday, overnight fog and mist will be slow to lift in some areas. Where it does disappear, it’ll be cold and cloudy, but northern Scotland and the south-west will have sunshine.
