Current Affairs
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Aug- 2012 -17 August
Could rise in retail sales signal a stronger UK economy?
Better-than-forecasted sales figures have helped to raise hopes that the UK’s recession may not be as deep as first feared. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), sales volumes in July rose by 0.3 per cent and were up 2.8 per cent from a year earlier. ONS…
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15 August
Change in PAYE structure
From April 2013 the way employers report pay as you earn (PAYE) details to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will change. Under the present PAYE system employers tell HMRC what deductions they have made from employees’ pay at the end of the year, but in nine months PAYE will be…
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8 August
Campaign launched to celebrate working dogs
A PetNet-led campaign celebrating the work undertaken by dogs will launch in September. Titled ‘Celebrating Empawees’, the campaign is a chance for all exceptional dogs from police dogs to assistance dogs, to receive recognition from the PetNet community and beyond. Lee Greatbatch, who represented Team GB at the Paralympics in…
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7 August
UK retail sales ‘subdued’ in July
Despite better weather and the feel-good factor surrounding the start of the Olympic Games, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has reported that UK retail sales were subdued in July. Food and drink sales were beneficiaries of the good weather, in a month that saw sales rise just 0.1 per cent…
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6 August
Petition for better protection for rabbits
Hon Caroline Spelman is petitioning to have the law changed so that better protection is provided for rabbits. According to the RSPCA rabbits are the most neglected and, according to the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWF), the most abandoned animal in Britain. 35,000 rabbits were abandoned in 2011, a…
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Jul- 2012 -31 July
Travel advice for those with pets
Silver Travel Advisor has produced numerous tips for those wanting to travel abroad with pets. With Leishmania rife in some European countries, owners are advised to get the best possible protection against parasites by visiting a vet at least 10 weeks before travelling. In some western European countries, such a…
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30 July
Surrey Police launch suspect identification app
The Surrey Police have launched a mobile phone application that allows members of the public to help identify suspects at the touch of a button. Facewatch has been launched following the success of 2011’s Surrey Police ‘Beat’ application. Officers hope it will help identify people caught on camera who may…
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18 July
Rain-hit retailers to thank for inflation fall
The price-cutting by retailers has caused the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) to fall to its lowest level for two and a half years. Government figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) put CPI at 2.4 per cent, which is down from 2.8 per cent in May. The largest downward…
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16 July
UK economy to see a return to growth
The Ernst & Young Item Club has said in its latest quarterly forecast that falling inflation and a pick-up in consumer spending will help the UK return to growth. The forecast expects the inflation rate to fall to 1.7 per cent by the end of the year but overall growth…
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10 July
High street defies gloom and holds steady in June
Britain’s high streets are “holding steady” despite the financial freeze, according to BDO’s High Street Tracker for June. In its latest report, BDO revealed that mid-tier retailers saw like-for-like sales rise 1.1 per cent year-on-year despite continuing economic uncertainty and the wettest June ever recorded on the Isles. The Queen’s…
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