Archive for June, 2007
Friday, June 15th, 2007
A proposal to change drink-driving laws could see drivers being over the alcohol limit after a single drink.
Plans being considered to lower the alcohol level above which you cannot legally drive have gained the support of road safety minister Dr Stephen Ladyman.
Should the proposals become law, it would bring the legal driving limit down from 80 mg per 100 ml of blood to 50 mg, in line with other European countries.
The plans are set to be detailed in a consultation paper to be published later this year.
Dr Ladyman asserted: "I think it will happen. The consultation will include lowering the limit. It depends on how quickly we get enforcement at 80 mg.
"If you go to 50 mg before you have effective enforcement at 80 mg, people will just ignore the 50 mg level."
Meanwhile, Sir Willie Rae, chief constable of Strathclyde and one of Scotland’s most senior officers, has criticised cheap drink promotions, citing them as partly culpable for a marked increase in violent domestic crimes, the Herald has reported.
Posted in New Legislation | No Comments »
Thursday, June 14th, 2007
A group of child welfare charities have made calls for the government to increase efforts to tackle child poverty, it has emerged.
The Child Poverty Action Group and NCH, the children’s charity, are calling for the issue to be central to the upcoming child maintenance and other payments bill, CAF online reports.
Part of the bill, announced last week, proposes replacing the Child Support Agency [CSA] with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC)
The new body is intended to have more substantial powers to enforce the payment of child maintenance by non-resident parents.
Proposed reforms include CMEC’s ability to electronically tag defaulters, impose curfews and confiscate passports.
The CSA has long been troubled by its lack of powers to require payment from defaulters, resulting in a backlog of more than 300,000 cases.
Secretary of state for work and pensions John Hutton said: "There are a small number of parents who seem to think that paying for their kids is something they can simply choose not to do. It isn’t.
"And these new powers would mean that non-payment brings real and lasting penalties."
Posted in Family Law | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 13th, 2007
The external appearance of neighbouring properties can have a significant effect on the chances of a house sale, new research has suggested.
A survey conducted by insurance firm Legal and General revealed that the neighbours’ upkeep of their properties has an instrumental effect on the house-buying process.
Almost nine in ten (89 per cent) respondents to the survey said they might reconsider purchasing a home in light of nearby properties’ condition.
Home buyers looking to build capital through their house might like to consider the positive aspects of buying new-build property – since more than half of young professionals say they would not buy property where neighbours had cracked or broken windows.
Ruth Wilkins, head of communications at the insurer, commented: "Our ‘Changing Face of Britain’ research suggests that people are reviewing wider issues than just the property itself when deciding that a new home is the right one for them.
"Who we may be living next door to is now a key consideration. It is interesting how much influence our neighbours can have on this key investment decision."
In other news of interest to the estate agent market, Legal and General published research this week that indicated an increased awareness of security issues among the British public, with 34 per cent stating they avoid opening their door to strangers while one-quarter have now invested in a burglar alarm.
Posted in Estate Agency | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 12th, 2007
The residential property market in Scotland is affected to a large degree by the location of good schools, an estate agent operating in the area has stated.
Agents Strutt and Parker have asserted that homes situated near good schools can sell for 20 per cent more than their less well-serviced equivalents.
In Edinburgh, the company identifies schools including South Morningside and Scienees primary schools as well as James Gillespies and George Watson’s as having strong attractions for parents, the Scotsman reports.
Blair Stewart, spokesperson for the agent, told the publication: "Good local schools in both the independent and state sectors are a top priority for buyers looking for family homes in Edinburgh.
"With a great school nearby you can add up to 20 per cent to the price in today’s market."
Meanwhile, the Thrifty Scot has suggested that while two-fifths of UK adults have stated they would consider moving abroad while saving for a home in the UK, there are still many deals available in Scotland.
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Monday, June 11th, 2007
The number of over-50s choosing to invest their money in buy-to-let property is set to grow by a quarter (24 per cent) in the next year, according to one insurer.
Saga Home Insurance, a specialist providers serving the over-50s market, is urging consumers to take tax advice to ensure they are protecting their investment and making the most of their capital.
Andrew Goodsell, chief cxecutive of Saga Group, said: "It is no surprise that over-50s own the majority of second and rental properties in the UK -however, as more and more decide to follow this route, it is important that they understand the tax implications that rental income will have.
The firm reminds all of those buying a house for buy-to-let purposes that landlords have until June 22nd to declare any underpayments in tax in order to benefit from a 90 per cent reduction in the resultant penalty.
It states that it is "critical" that such investors take advice from a property solicitor or other private house specialist in order to safeguard their position.
Meanwhile, recent research from Saga revealed that 83 per cent of UK consumers remain unaware of new inheritance tax rules on trusts, while nearly half the population does not have a will.
Posted in Inheritance Tax | No Comments »
Friday, June 8th, 2007
Britain’s criminal justice system is ‘creaking at the seams’ as a result of legislative changes effected by the labour government.
Such is the opinion of the shadow attorney general, Dominic Grieve, who made his comments to Sky News this week.
He was responding to a claim by justice secretary, Lord Falconer, that there was more money in the criminal justice system at present than there has ever been before.
Mr Grieve commented: "I think we need to look very closely at what the drivers are of raising costs in the criminal justice system.
"The government, for instance, has a growing budget in respect of legal aid."
He stated that rather than lawyers soaking up legal aid funding, the driver of heightened costs was an increase in pieces of criminal justice legislation resulting in more representations in court.
Mr Grieve has been vocal in his support of grammar schools in recent days, writing in his local paper that such institutions should be built "on demand".
Posted in New Legislation | No Comments »
Thursday, June 7th, 2007
SPORTSassist has been lauded as one of the causes of a "new beginning" for ice hockey in Scotland predicted to occur next season.
The head coach of Dundee Texol Stars, Roger Hunt, has asserted that initiatives such as the SPORTSassist-funded Scottish Premier Hockey League (SPHL) will represent a significant change for the better in the fortunes of the game.
Speaking to the Dundee Evening Telegraph from his home in Toronto Mr Hunt observed: "Next season is a new beginning for Scottish ice hockey with both the new SPORTSassist SPHL and the Northern League looking like two tough competitions."
Recently the Paisley Daily Express reported on the provision of two years’ sponsorship of the SPHL by SPORTSassist, allowing the top five clubs in Scotland to compete in a separate league.
Charlie Ward, a spokesman for the league, described the funding as a "tremendous boost" for the sport, which would increase the level of competition and ensure the bright future of the game.
Posted in Our News | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 6th, 2007
David Borrowman has created Sportsassist in an effort to help sports clubs secure financial stability.
While assistance available with immediate effect to all Scottish amateur sports clubs, Sportsassist is expected to be become open to English clubs in due course, reports Alloa and Hillfoots.
"My partners and I have spent many months looking for a realistic solution and have created Sportsassist as a way for UK sports clubs of any size to regain control over their finances," said Mr Borrowman, the principal partner of the organisation.
Sportsassist is a division of Caeser and Howie, a law firm offering a number of services, including those relating to financial planning, legal services, letting services and business law.
The firm has a history that dates back as far as 1792.
Posted in Our News | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 5th, 2007
The next year will be dominated by implementation of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act, according to the new president of the Law Society of Scotland.
John MacKinnon stepped up from the role of vice president to fill the vacancy created by Ruthven Gemmell a little more than a week ago and has some set views on what the challenges will be for solicitors over the coming months.
"If the past year was dominated by the demands of responding to the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act, then the next 12 months will focus on implementation of the enacted legislation," Mr MacKinnon said.
The new president said that he was particularly concerned with "advancing the interests of solicitors and their clients" with reference to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, which will start handling complaints next year.
Mr MacKinnon took up his position on May 25th, with Richard Henderson, formerly a solicitor to the Scottish executive, taking on the vice president title the new president vacated.
Posted in Legal Aid | No Comments »
Monday, June 4th, 2007
A housing website catering for the new homes market has renewed calls for an increase in the number of family homes.
SmartNewHomes.com has asserted that detached homes currently comprise around a quarter (26 per cent) of new builds, compared to more than half (54 per cent) constituted by apartments.
The website launched a campaign in 2006 to increase the family homes available and has renewed its calls in recent days.
It states that the government should co-operate more closely with developers, which have a clearer idea of demand in specific areas.
David Bexon, managing director of the firm, told Mortgage Solutions: "With often little or no outdoor space and no opportunity to expand, the needs of the majority of young families are just not being met.
"Government has to address this issue and adjust their current planning policies accordingly."
The government has called for a change in the level of new homes undergoing construction, with current targets set at 200,000 new homes each year to keep pace with the requirements of the population.
However, according to the Guardian, a new report from the Sustainable Development Commission criticises the haste to build such numbers of new properties is leading to a lack of consultation, too few facilities and poor design standards.
Posted in Estate Agency | No Comments »
