06/05/2011

Other UK News In Brief

Chair Of Competition Commission Announced

Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced the appointment of Roger Witcomb as Chair of the Competition Commission (CC) on an interim basis for a term of two years. Mr Witcomb will succeed current Chair Peter Freeman, whose term ends today. Mr Witcomb will be the Chair during the Government’s consultation on its proposals to merge the CC with the competition functions of the Office for Fair Trading (OFT). This consultation forms part of the Government’s plan to stimulate growth by allowing the market to be dynamic and competitive, while strengthening and streamlining the competition regime. He has been a member of the Competition Commission Board since 2009 and a Deputy Chair since January 2011

73-Year-Old Man Jailed For Smuggling Heroin

An elderly man has been jailed for five years for attempting to smuggle heroin into the UK through Heathrow Airport. The sentence was handed down to David Pryor, 73, of Wellingborough, at Isleworth Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to import a Class A drug at an earlier hearing. Pryor was arrested by UK Border Agency officers on 5 September 2010 after he arrived at terminal five on a flight from Tanzania. Following a search, around four kilos of the drug were found concealed in baskets which he was carrying in his dark green suitcase. Officers examined the three unusually heavy woven baskets and found heroin concealed within the weave. In total the drugs had an estimated street value of approximately £100,000. Before his later guilty plea, he had claimed that the baskets had been given to him as a gift by the cousin of the witness he had been to visit and that he had no idea the heroin had been hidden inside. Pryor was also banned from travelling anywhere outside the UK for two years after the completion of his sentence.

Yorkshire Businesses Urged To Back Trading campaign

Entrepreneurs attending the Yorkshire Business Market in Harrogate are being urged to support Get Britain Trading – a major new campaign to recognise the importance of small businesses, boost their profits and help them to create jobs. The campaign is the brainchild of the Forum of Private Business, a leading not-for-profit small business membership organisation. It calls for specific measures to help firms improve cash flow, create a simple and proportionate tax system, improve employment and boost skills and create opportunities for growth. The Forum is urging business owners to sign up to the campaign in order to provide the organisation with a powerful mandate to lobby the Government. In addition, visitors who need advice on any aspect of starting or running a business can benefit from the expert advice. The event takes place on Monday, 9 May.

(BMcN)

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