Points to Ponder

[SteveH]

New ?38,700 visa rule will be introduced in early 2025

Plans requiring people to earn ?38,700 a year before bringing family to the UK will be introduced in early 2025, Rishi Sunak has said.

The rise from the current ?18,600 level was announced earlier this month and had been scheduled for the spring.

However, the government has rowed back and now says the increase will come in two stages.

Next spring, the threshold will rise to ?29,000, with the further increase not applying until the following year.

Speaking in Lincoln, Mr Sunak defended the timetable, saying: "The principle here is absolutely right that if people are bringing dependants into this country as part of their family, they must be able to support them.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67801167

[Hugo]

THE NEW YEAR'S HONOURS LIST

It seems again that the Tory donors feature high on the Honours list and Liz Truss' handing out gongs calls the Honours system into disrepute
Former crook Gerard Ronson was knighted and Boris' dad Stanley had previously been knighted and Jo Johnson previously was awarded a Peerage.

As the Daily Mirror said in the paper today,  the real heroes are at the back of the list of the queue for awards.     Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrows are prime examples of this and yes they both got the CBE's but what they have done is extraordinary.  Surely the example they have set deserves a knighthood more than the likes of  Gerard Ronson or Stanley Johnson

[SteveH]

Can private ambulances ease pressure in Wales?

The health service in Wales heads into 2024 under pressure - with the ambulance service firmly on the frontline.

But can the private sector step in to ease the burden?

One company set up on Anglesey in the last year thinks the answer is yes - as it looks to expand in the new year.

However, an economist has warned looking to businesses to help out is not without risks for public services in Wales.

Established in April, small start-up firm M?n Medics says it is there to "back up" the Welsh Ambulance Service and north Wales health board, by taking on non-emergency patient transfer roles where there is a need for some medical support.

"Winter pressure time, for example, we're in that period now, and where they might not have enough capacity," said director Huw Williams.

"We are there to back them up, we work in partnership with them."

It is certainly true the ambulance service right across Wales has felt the squeeze in recent years, with rising numbers of calls, and too often long waits to hand over patients at hospital.

In November, official figures showed there were nearly 20,000 lost hours for ambulance crews in Wales, as they sat with patients outside hospitals.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c16y8zn05wro

[SteveH]

The Abu Dhabi-backed bidder for the Daily and Sunday Telegraph has said journalists will be given total editorial freedom.

The ownership of the papers was due to be transferred to the Gulf-backed RedBird IMI consortium.

But the government intervened over fears the papers might come under the control of an autocratic foreign state.

Jeff Zucker, who is leading the bid, told the BBC commitments were backed by legally binding agreements.

An independent editorial trust board will further protect the Telegraph's editorial independence, the former CNN executive added.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67874362

[Hugo]

TIP OF THE DAY

A lot of people I know would rather be served by an assistant than going through the self service till even though they know how to use them
We are not robots after all and don't want to be.
When you are waiting to pay for goods you have bought, how many times have the assistants come up to you and said are you paying by cash or card?   
If you say card then you'll be directed to the self service till with a comment like "I'll show you how to use it"
If you want still want to be served by an assistant just say "does it do cash back?"  and then you'll get served by a real person

[SteveH]

'Living in Llandudno, flooding is always in the back of my mind, and I am sure many others, we have enough problems from standing water, lets hope future flooding is tackled before it is to late.

Alarming decisions' facing Wales about what and where it can defend from flood waters
Minister made comments at Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/alarming-decisions-facing-wales-what-28402295

[Hugo]

According to the Government's latest vehicle excise duty evasion statistics, there are 719,000 unlicensed vehicles (excluding motorcycles) in the UK. And this represents an estimated annual road tax revenue loss of ?119 million.20 Oct 2023

?119 million pounds is a "Conservative" amount if you excuse the pun.      The true cost will be much greater and if anyone drives a car with no road tax then they probably don't have insurance or a valid MOT.     Also the cost of damage caused by uninsured drivers is not taken into account in the amount quoted.
Some bright spark somewhere suggested the abolition of the paper Tax discs and look what has happened since they were abolished.   Yes, it saves ?10 million per year but on the other hand the Government lose over ?100 million each and every year
I wonder if the bright spark also received the CBE for the suggestion

It's no use looking to the DVLA to recover the missing money because as a debt recovery office it is useless         

[DVT]

ANPR cameras could pick them out easily, and pursue ... these are the criminials.
Surely, the GoSafe camers and Police at the roadside could check every car that goes past.
Instead, it's those safe drivers who go a few mph over 20 are now the criminals.
Seems, to me, that very little in this country makes sense nowadays.

[Cambrian]

Perhaps enforcement should be transferred to the Post Office (!)

[Hugo]

ANPR cameras could pick them out easily, and pursue ... these are the criminials.
Surely, the GoSafe camers and Police at the roadside could check every car that goes past.
Instead, it's those safe drivers who go a few mph over 20 are now the criminals.
Seems, to me, that very little in this country makes sense nowadays.

There is no need for ANPR cameras, Go Safe cameras or the Police because the DVLA  knows from day 1 who is the owner of the vehicle and where they live.
A  County Court summons followed by a CCJ  and then enforcement would sort the majority of the offenders out and act as a deterrent for anyone else thinking of breaking the law

[DVT]

DVLA may know who the registered owner of the car is but it could be hidden in a barn for years.  It's only when driven on the road that it would become illegal.  ANPR cameras would catch drivers using the vehicle, and if it was a stationary camera at the road side it could check every vehicle.

How to confuse people ... the white car does now have a different registration plate!

[Hugo]

If a CCJ is granted against someone then enforcement can be taken against the defendant anywhere.        If the owner of a vehicle does not intend to drive the car on the road then by law they should have a SORN on it.   
If the car is hidden then there are a number of other ways to enforce the CCJ

If those two cars were on the road with the same number plate then one of them is illegal,  I have actually seen one person who had two different cars on his drive with the same Registration plate but that was illegal and the owner of the cars would have known that

[Helig]

The DVLA would never allow two cars to be registered with the same private plate. The person who is responsible for having two cars showing the same registration number must have had a couple of plates made (I didn't think they would do that) and fitted one to another vehicle. As Hugo says, this is illegal. I suppose unless someone reports it, they are none the wiser.

[Hugo]

The person who had the two identical plates on two different high performance cars was a well respected pillar of the community and a Conservative supporter.    He was also known for his dishonesty

The matter was reported and one of the plates was later removed from one of the vehicles,  I don't know if the person was prosecuted for the offence but I doubt it as he was also a prominent Freemason

[Helig]

I doubt he was prosecuted too. During my days working in tax I found the Tory supporters to be the most dishonest. While they target people on benefits, they don't seem to think tax evasion, or avoidance, is wrong. It is one law for the Tories and another for everyone else.

On another subject, can anyone explain how the government cannot afford money for services and essential spending in the UK but has money to give to Ukraine (?2.5 billion pledged this year)and for bombing Yemen (or anywhere else they choose)?