Image Day - Money Saving Expert

Martin Lewis of moneysavingexpert.com, holds a High Court judgement outside the High Court, in London, England. The money-specialist was reacting to UK's major banks losing a test case in the High Court over unfair bank charges.

> Getty-Images

Clamping the Funeral-Director

A hearse and mourners' limousine were clamped as undertakers prepared to take a coffin to a funeral. Clamping company ISTM, which last year won the RAC Foundation's Dick Turpin Award for "highway robbery", demanded £200 to release the vehicles which had been left in a car park in East London.

ISTM eventually removed the clamps free of charge.

"The undertakers couldn't believe their eyes. They thought it was absolutely disgusting," an onlooker said. Bosses at Poplar Harca, which owns the car park and uses ISTM as contractors, later said they had ordered the removal.

Via Evening-Standard

Digital divide across the UK is narrowing

The digital divide between UK nations is diminishing according to Ofcom research published today. In its Communications Market Report for the Nations and Regions of the UK Ofcom examines availability, take-up and usage of internet, telecommunications and broadcasting services.

Key findings across the UK

• The proportion of UK households able to receive competitive broadband and phone services through local loop unbundling (LLU) increased by 27 percentage points over the year from 40% at the end of 2005 to 67% at the end 2006.


• Almost three out of ten UK households (29%) took multiple services from a single telecoms provider in 2006 (fixed line phone and broadband for example).


• Average reported monthly household spend on mobile phone services ( £42 .18 based on an average two mobile phones per household) is greater than reported spend on fixed-line and internet combined across the UK ( £31 .18).


• People in Northern Ireland watch less television than the rest of the UK (3.3 hours per day). People in Scotland watch the most of all the nations.
  


• Local commercial radio attracts a larger share of listening hours in Scotland (43%) than in any other nation ( UK average 32%).


• The report shows that ITV’s digital-only channels (ITV2, 3 and 4) have gained more viewing share (2.8 percentage points) than those of the BBC (1.3 percentage points), C4 (1.4 percentage points) and C5 (0.2 percentage points) between 2002 and 2006.

Digital communications in rural and urban Britain
Ofcom also carried out research into take-up and availability of communications services in rural and urban areas in the UK. A similar proportion of people who live in rural areas (80%) own a mobile phone compared to 81% in urban areas.

The research also showed that DAB digital radio ownership in rural households (17%) is almost equal to that in urban households (18%).

UK Home Buyers Pack

UK Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly has made a statement to the House of Commons (22/05/2007) on the implementation of Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates.

See > Announcement : Home Information Packs

Tax credit overpayment near £6bn

Nearly £6bn has been overpaid to tax credit claimants since its launch in 2003, HM Revenue & Customs has said. In the 2005/2006 tax year alone £1.7bn was overpaid to claimants, some of this money is likely to be written-off.