How to mitigate health & safety risks in your business
Andrew Oldland Q.C. recently joined Michelmores' Leisure and Tourism team and offers advice to a wide range of businesses on health & safety and regulatory issues. He has acted for and against the Health and Safety Executive ("HSE") in many difficult and serious cases. In this article Andrew discusses how, by undertaking carefully considered risk assessments, businesses can not only manage effectively the health & safety risks that they are likely to face on a day to day basis, but can also avoid unnecessary red tape. Andrew will produce further articles in the future that will discuss particular hazards in more detail.
Static caravans no longer zero rated for VAT.
As part of the Budget Chancellor George Osborne announced that the previous zero rating applied to static caravans was no longer to apply. From the 1st October 2012 static caravans are to become subject to the 20% standard rating of VAT. A caravan that is "designed and constructed for continuous year-round occupation" will remain zero rated. The onus will be on the seller of the caravan as to whether the VAT rate is to apply or not and in cases of doubt is likely to mean that VAT will be added.
The arrival of the NPPF – what does it mean to owners of holiday and home parks?
David Richardson, the new Leisure and Tourism Planning Associate comments….On 27 March 2012 the long awaited National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was introduced into the planning realm by Planning Minister Greg Clarke. The NPPF replaces, as the Government has loudly trumpeted, thousands of pages of policy contained Planning Policy Statements, Planning Policy Guidance, Minerals Policy Statements, Government Circulars and letters to the Chief Planning Officer into a concise document of just over 50 pages.
Welcome to Excellence
Purple Cloud Consultancy has taken on the role of training for the South West Tourism Alliance. The Welcome to Excellence Training being operated in the South West offers a wide range of one day courses for staff at all levels. The courses are run by highly specialist trainers and are updated regularly to account for the changes in the industry and legislation. Conducted in house or at local venues, the training courses offer the greatest flexibility for your business.
Agency Workers Regulations 2010: Are you up to speed?
The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (the "Regulations") came into force on 1 October 2011 with the aim of achieving equality between agency workers and permanent employees as regards their basic terms of employment. The Regulations will have particular impact in the food and drink and leisure and tourism sectors as businesses utilise agency staff to combat the seasonal fluctuations in consumer demand.
