26/12 Ten year anniversary of tax-break scheme

Ten year anniversary of tax-break scheme

More than £24 million has been given to local community, social and
environmental projects in Wales by companies operating landfill sites,
thanks to a tax scheme that celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme)
was introduced by the government to help offset the effects of landfill
upon local communities across the UK.

Landfill Tax is a tax on waste, and the Landfill Communities Fund is a
way of giving a slice of the money that would have been due in tax to
local community, social and environmental schemes instead.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury John Healey said:

"The £24,383,207.36 distributed in Wales by the scheme has funded more
than 947 local community projects including provision of facilities for
the disabled, construction of new playgrounds and assistance for
schools and teachers.

"From a few hundred pounds to help renovate a village hall, to a few
thousand to help establish a local nature reserve, the landfill
communities scheme has helped make a real difference in neighbourhoods across
Wales."

Since changes introduced in the Budget 2006, landfill operators have
been able to give a greater proportion of their tax liability to the
fund, effectively putting an extra £10m a year into local schemes. And
environmental bodies are now being actively encouraged to use this extra
money to provide opportunities for youth volunteering through their
projects.

Mr Healey continued:

"The additional money for the scheme in this year's Budget will boost
the involvement of youth volunteers in environmental projects -
therefore also supporting the Government's drive to encourage more volunteering
and activities for young people.

"An additional benefit of the scheme is that any donation is classified
as private money. Projects can therefore match the money with, for
example, lottery funding, a DEFRA grant or EU money. This means the £700m
distributed by the scheme has levered-in further funding, totalling
more than £2bn."

Under the scheme, which is administered by the Government, landfill
operators may claim a tax credit of 90% of a donation to an environmental
body enrolled in the scheme. The total credit claimed may not exceed
6.7 per cent of their total annual landfill tax liability. The
remaining 10 per cent may be borne by the landfill operator itself, or a third
party may make up the difference.

26/11 Animal Welfare Act receives Royal Assent

Animal Welfare Act receives Royal Assent


The most important piece of animal welfare legislation for nearly a century received Royal Assent today.

By updating and bringing together more than 20 pieces of animal welfare legislation relating to farmed and non-farmed animals, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 will:

* introduce a "duty of care" on people to ensure the needs of any animal for which they are responsible;
* create a new offence of failing to provide for the needs of an animal in your care;
* allow action to protect animals to be taken much earlier.- rather than have to wait for an animal to show the signs of suffering, enforcers will be able to intervene before suffering begins;
* place more emphasis on owners and keepers who will need to understand their responsibilities and take all reasonable steps to provide for the needs of their animals.

Animal Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "The most fundamental piece of animal welfare legislation for nearly a century has now passed into law. The Government believes that by extending the duty of care to non-farmed animals, it will reduce animal suffering in this country. This is the culmination of several years work during which the government has worked closely with stakeholders. The result is legislation of which we can all be rightly proud."

Debby Reynolds, Chief Veterinary Officer, said: "I am delighted that the Animal Welfare Bill has now received Royal Assent. The bringing up to date of animal welfare legislation will help to improve the way people look after their animals. The extra powers will mean that action can now be taken before an animal starts to suffer, and will put companion animals on the same legislative footing as farmed animals. The new Act forms an important part of our overall strategy on animal health and welfare."

06/11 ONLY 15% OF WELSH VIEWERS KNOW

ONLY 15% OF WELSH VIEWERS KNOW
WHEN THEY MUST GO DIGITAL


Only 15% of TV viewers in Wales know when digital switchover will take place, new research has found.

Every household in the region will have to ensure all their televisions are capable of receiving a digital signal when the analogue signal is switched off locally in a rolling programme which starts in the third quarter of 2009 and ends in the first quarter of 2010.

That is when all the transmitters in Wales will cease broadcasting the older ‘analogue’ television signal and begin transmitting a high-power digital signal in its place. This will make digital TV through an aerial (Freeview) available to almost every home.

Digital UK, the independent body leading the UK’s switch to digital TV, is conducting quarterly research with regulator Ofcom to monitor awareness of switchover.

The results for July-September 2006 show that, while knowledge of the timing of switchover is low in Wales, general awareness in the area that switchover is happening has risen to a new high of 77%.

Emyr Hughes, regional co-ordinator for Digital UK, said: “The encouraging news is that, according to the research, most people know switchover is coming. Also, 82% of homes in Wales now have digital TV on at least one set.

“But many people are unsure when the change will affect them. We expect that to change as switchover approaches, and we’ll concentrate on communicating the date to all Welsh viewers over the coming months.”

Digital UK has sent switchover information to every household in Wales and will do so again in the year before switchover as part of its ongoing information and support programme for the region.

Switchover will happen transmitter by transmitter across Wales between 2009 and 2010. The detailed timetable was announced by Digital UK in October and is shown below:

· The first two transmitters to switch will be Preseli in Pembrokeshire and Carmel near Cross Hands serving South West Wales. They switch over between July and September 2009.

· They will be followed by Llanddona on Anglesey and Moel-y-Parc near Mold, serving North Wales, between October and December 2009.


· The remaining three transmitters, Blaenplwyf in Ceredigion, Long Mountain near Welshpool, both serving Mid Wales and Wenvoe, Cardiff, serving South East Wales, will all switchover between January and March 2010.

For further information people should call the Digital UK helpline on 08456 50 50 50 or visit www.digitaluk.co.uk.