The Desk
Politics
Westminster, Whitehall and the policy decisions shaping contracting.
93 ARTICLES
2000–2025
DESK / POLITICS
2000–2025
DESK / POLITICS
- 17 JUN 2002'Who's an entrepreneur?' UKTECH.com interviews the Minister for Small BusinessUKTECH recently interviewed Nigel Griffiths, the Government's Minister for Small Business, about enterprise and contractors' businesses in his office…READ →
- 10 JUN 2002Griffiths' enterprise culture plan at risk from 'stumbling blocks'The Professional Contractors Group (PCG) has warned Nigel Griffiths, Minister for Small Businesses, to clear existing stumbling blocks, such as IR35…READ →
- 31 MAY 2002New e-Minister has chequered history with IT contractorsThe new e-Minister, Stephen Timms, has had a chequered history with contractors in the IT field through his involvement in introducing IR35, his…READ →
- 31 MAY 2002PCG's FTV meeting on ice as Lord Rooker is shifted to HousingA meeting between the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) and the Home Office Minister, Lord Rooker, about fast track visas (FTVs) was a victim of…READ →
- 21 MAY 2002CIOT voices concerns over Finance Bill 2002The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has said it has 'growing concerns over the Government's attempts to make significant tax changes without…READ →
- 15 MAR 2002Haskins to step down as Better Regulation Task Force chairLord Haskins will leave the Better Regulation Task Force at the end of March, with former IPC chairman David Arculus named as his successor.READ →
- 13 MAR 2002EU is working in the dark over UK IT skills shortagesA senior member of the EU skills planning team in Brussels has told UKTECH he is using information submitted by the UK Home Office in 2000 to plan…READ →
- 8 MAR 2002E-commerce minister urges software firms to tap DTI support fundsE-commerce minister Douglas Alexander has called on the UK's £22 billion software industry to make greater use of DTI funding and start-up support.READ →
- 22 FEB 2002Blair calls for EU to back knowledge-based companiesA joint letter from Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Dutch Prime Minister, Wim Kok, to the Spanish Prime Minister and EU President, Jose Maria…READ →
- 21 FEB 2002EU Commission adopts plan to import 1.6 million IT workersThe European Commission has accepted an 'Action Plan for Skills and Mobility' which outlines increased legal immigration to help cover skills…READ →
- 21 FEB 2002UK business representatives present joint 'wish list' paper to EUMajor organisations representing more than 135,000 UK small businesses have come together to present a 'wish list' paper, calling on EU leaders to…READ →
- 15 FEB 2002Griffiths meets EU Minister over small business progressNigel Griffiths, Minister for Small Business, has met with Erkki Liikanen, the EU Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, ahead of…READ →
- 12 FEB 2002EU publishes 'Small Firms Charter' reportThe report is a review of how each EU member state is implementing the Small Firms Charter.READ →
- 7 FEB 2002UKTECH interviews Self-employment Rights Bill architectMark Prisk MP, architect of 'The Right to be Self-Employed' Bill, recently told Parliament that defining self-employed status is: 'confusing…READ →
- 3 JAN 2002Government justifies Fast-Track foreign IT with 1999 informationThe Home Office has referred to documents featuring information collected during positive market conditions in 1999 as justification for its drive to…READ →
- 18 DEC 2001MPs discuss 'narrow and restrictive' definition of 'an employee'MPs raised the issue of the need for clarification between the definitions of 'an employee' and 'a worker' during a debate over statutory dispute…READ →
- 10 DEC 2001Radical reform of work permits proposedLord Rooker, the Immigration and Citizenship Minister, has announced the Home Office is exploring new categories of work permits to help support…READ →
- 21 NOV 2001Revenue launches competition for new IT suppliersThe Revenue has announced it will hold an open competition, code-named 'ASPIRE' (Acquiring Strategic Partners for the Inland Revenue), to find…READ →
- 9 NOV 2001Revenue chief hits out at The Times over staff strike articleInland Revenue chief Nick Montague has written a letter of complaint to Peter Stothard, Editor of The Times, in response to an article it published…READ →
- 7 NOV 2001Blair's drive to cut red tape welcomed by industryPrime Minister Tony Blair has announced that all Whitehall departments have been asked to identify areas of legislation that are ripe for reform as…READ →
- 2 NOV 2001e-Minister explores democracy in the information ageDouglas Alexander, Minister for e-commerce, has called on the technology and internet community to work with Government to open up new ways to…READ →
- 1 NOV 2001Revenue to offer compensation for causing 'distress'The Inland Revenue has announced a new Code of Practice (COP1) which will offer compensation of between £25 - £500 to taxpayers if it believes it has…READ →
- 31 OCT 2001IT environment for e-Government success is in place, says PorterChristopher Porter, Cabinet Office Director of the e-economy, told UKTECH he believed a suitable environment for IT contractors was in place and…READ →
- 31 OCT 2001Latest fast track visa figures releasedAngela Eagle, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Europe, Community and Race Equality, has released the latest fast track visa and work permit…READ →