Blog

Given that he was praising England, John of Gaunt’s famous panegyric had a rather larger scope than a humble building plot. However, from an SDLT perspective, buying a plot and then engaging someone to build a house on it afterwards may confer a number of SDLT blessings, even if the...

What effect will the UK’s reduction in plastic have on your agricultural business? Following the publication of its 25 Year Plan setting out a commitment to eliminate “all avoidable plastic waste” by 2042, the government has launched an open consultation into how the tax system could encourage the responsible use...

The November 2017 Budget re-introduced SDLT relief for first time buyers (“FTBs”). To qualify for FTB relief the buyer (this means all of them, if more than one) must be people who have never acquired a major interest in a dwelling before and must intend to occupy the dwelling on...

Care Quality Commission report The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report analysing the quality and safety of care by independent acute hospitals in England. Over 200 hospitals were inspected by the CQC, the report concludes that 62% of hospitals were providing good care and 8% were outstanding. However...

We have written previously in our Family Wealth blog about the necessity for executors of an estate to protect themselves from personal liability for estate debts. Being an executor of an estate is a demanding task and there are many pitfalls for the unwary that could lead to the executors...

On 2 April 2018, the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018 came into force. The Regulations are one of the measures set out in the Government’s 25 year plan to improve the environment. The purpose of them is to reduce the pollution of water from agricultural...

With dog walkers making the most of the lighter evenings, livestock worrying is of particular concern to farmers at this time of the year which is why the National Sheep Association (NSA) has just concluded a week-long targeted campaign encouraging people to share case studies and statistics about livestock worrying...

Teenagers invited to “Be on the TEAM” Teenagers are being invited to participate in a study into the effectiveness of a vaccine against Meningitis B. The vaccine was introduced in 2015 for babies under the age of 12 months because it would prevent a high proportion of cases of group...

Background On 12 March 2018 the British Association of Brain injury Case Managers (BABICM) and Plymouth University published their findings following their study into supported decision making for people with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI). Acquired brain injuries include all injuries to the brain occurring following birth. It therefore encompasses a...

Seatbelt campaign – 12-18 March This week, 12 to 18 March, sees a Europe wide campaign of enforcement and education around seatbelt use. People of a certain age may remember the old public service information announcements on television encouraging people to “clunk click every trip” – but that comes from a...