News

Truss unveils plan to cap domestic gas and electricity bills at £2500 per year from October

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2022

ON THURSDAY morning, September 8, the Prime Minister unveiled her big idea to help UK families cope with spiralling energy costs over the next two years.

Mrs Truss said domestic gas and electricity bills in the UK will be capped at £2500 per year from October in a statement to the House of Commons.

The announcement means that families will only pay twice as much for their energy than they did last year.

The price cap is around £1,000 less than that already announced.

It’s still about £500 more than at present.

As well as households, businesses are also expected to receive some help. Many firms are currently facing even sharper rises than households, and many fixed-rate deals for business expire this October, exposing thousands of firms to full costs that could rise by four or five times or more.

She did not provide details of relief for businesses, apart from a brief mention that a similar measure would provide for six months of protection and targeted support for businesses most at risk.

Otherwise, Liz Truss kicked support for business into the long grass for cutting by Jacob Rees Mogg.

She said she would “not give in to the other side” on windfall taxes on energy firms as “that would undermine the national interest by disincentivising energy companies we need to invest in this country.

“We are doing important business to help people and businesses get through this winter and winter whilst helping Britain secure its long-term energy supplies.

“There will be as cost to this intervention, but we are facing a global energy crisis.”

Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb praised the PM and said to the House: “Doesn’t this demonstrate Mr Speaker that Conservative Governments do not stand-by when help is needed.”

Shock data released this week shows that 355,000 companies with a turnover higher than £1m are designated as high energy users – industries such as steel, glass, concrete, and paper production.

Of those, an estimated 75,972 are at risk of insolvency, and 26,720 could fail because of energy costs.

That’s in addition to the 26,000 insolvencies already predicted this year.

Without a large-scale support package from the government, more businesses will fail than during the pandemic and any other recession.

A business turning over a million pounds two years ago would have spent around 8% of that on energy costs and made profits of around £90,000.

If the cost of energy doubles to 16%, that instantly wipes out profitability, and they’re straight into a scenario where it threatens the viability of the business within a year.

Beyond the large, energy-intensive companies, smaller companies with turnover under £1m were also at risk of failure, data analytics firm Red Flag Alert said on Tuesday (Sept 6).

In Pembrokeshire, some firms have already closed their doors – one example is the popular Haven Brasserie in Nolton Haven, which said it would shut for “reasons of economic uncertainty”.

The hospitality sector, which is a huge part of the local economy, is facing a triple threat of increasing energy bills, higher supply and staffing costs, and a fall-off in consumer spending, squeezed by inflation.

Red Flag Alert calculates businesses overall will need £100bn a year in support to tackle the rise in energy bills.

The government is already under pressure over how it will finance a promised package of support for households while sticking to promises to cut taxes.

Responding to the PM’s announcement, opposition leader Keir Starmer said the argument against a windfall tax was nonsense and that energy companies’ own announcements showed investment would not be deterred.

He said the PM was focused on protecting the excess profits of energy companies who reaped their unplanned benefit from Russian aggression. At the same time, ordinary families would end up repaying the money she’d borrowed years ahead through their bills.

Keir Starmer said that strategy was a tax on families instead of hitting big corporations who had failed to invest money in energy security and infrastructure.

Crime

Unanimous verdict in Ceredigion sexual assault case

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A CEREDIGION man has been convicted to three years and six months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in her own bed after the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

27-year-old Suroj Bk, from Llangrannog, was sentenced this week following a week-long trial at Swansea Crown Court (May 1).

On 7 October 2023, Dyfed-Powys Police received a report that Bk entered the victim’s home and sexually assaulted her while she lay in her bed.

When the victim realised what was happening, she kicked Bk out of her bed and called the police.

Upon receiving the report, officers quickly attended the victim’s home and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area using police dogs and scenes of crime officers.

Evidence gathered from scene, together with extensive local enquiries, led officers to arrest Suroj Bk the next day (8 October).

While Bk was in custody, detectives, crime scene investigators, and digital forensic officers worked tirelessly to uncover the evidence that ultimately placed Suroj Bk at the scene.

After hearing the evidence, the jury took less than two hours to agree a unanimous guilty verdict.

The detective in charge of the case has praised the victim for her ‘tremendous courage’ in reporting the assault to police.

“Incidents of this nature are thankfully very rare within Ceredigion, and I’d like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident, and that the identification and arrest of suspect was done quickly and efficiently,” said Detective Inspector Sam Gregory.

“The victim in this case demonstrated tremendous courage in reporting to police, and while this investigation was not straightforward in its nature, it was through the expertise and tenacity of forensic officers, working together with the investigation team, and the victim, that led to this successful prosecution.

“I hope the sentence given to Suroj Bk sends a clear and strong message that Dyfed-Powys Police takes reports of sexual offences seriously.

“We will listen to you, and we will work tirelessly to get justice.”

On Wednesday, 1 May 2024, Saroj Bk was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and a five-year restraining order, and he will be on the sex offenders register for life.

If you have been a victim of a crime such as this, report it to Dyfed-Powys Police either through a direct message on social media, online at: https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

In an emergency, always call 999.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

News

Body recovered confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, say police

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS police have said today that the body found on Wednesday, May 1, has been confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, who was reported missing from the Pembroke Dock area on April 14.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We will continue to support the family and will assist with issuing a tribute publicly if the family wish to do so.”

In a statement, his family said: “Luke was a joyful and funny young man and always wanted to help others. He was a loving son, brother, grandson and uncle, and will be forever missed.
“We have lost a huge part of our family, and our loss is shared by his many friends who also loved him dearly.
“We would like to thank the local community for the overwhelming support we have received.”

Business

Port of Milford Haven now official ‘a great place to work’

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT of Milford Haven has been officially accredited as a Great Place to Work-Certified™ organisation. As the first Port Authority in Britain to secure this Certification™, it is a significant achievement.

“We are very proud to be Great Place to Work-Certified™,” said Vidette Swales, HR Director at the Port of Milford Haven. “It means so much that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their colleagues, their leaders and their jobs. Offering a positive employee experience is not only beneficial for the people who work with us but is also key for our continued business success.”

Tom Sawyer, CEO at the Port of Milford Haven added: “Our team is operating the UK’s leading energy port, and it is of the utmost importance that we do that safely, responsibly and effectively. We’re striving for excellence and aim to provide a world class service to our customers as well as supporting sustainable coastal communities for the prosperity of future generations. Our employees are clearly at the centre of this which is why I’m delighted that they feel supported in their role. I’m especially proud that this Certification™ demonstrates our core values of Safety, Excellence, Collaboration and Sustainability so perfectly.”

“We congratulate the Port of Milford Haven on achieving their Certification™,” said Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® UK. “Organisations which put the employee experience at the heart of their business gain their employees’ trust and, in turn, are truly able to build a great workplace culture that delivers outstanding business results.”