Budget to double flight tax!

[Claire L]

Not to mention the eborders law which means no more spontaneous trips abroad without government permission. If you go without giving the 57 questions the government want to can get fined up to £5000!!!! This country is rapidly becoming a prison.

What's that all about

Claire

 

[Cinderella2006]

1,600 salaried staff at Vauxhall made redundant last night.
5,000 Vauxhall jobs at risk, even if GM sell Vauxhall and Opel to one of the six consortiums trying to buy them :-(

My Dad manages a vauxhall dealership where we live in Newport and it hasn't been good for a while. He works 7 days a week 5am - 7pm just trying to keep things afloat. He will get no thanks for it.
Even if they had the sales coming through the door, they would have no one to serve them, they are on skeleton staff.

The recession has hit hard for all businesses. Cant ever see an end

 

[wifey]

What a load of pants this is. If those MP's expenses were to stop, they'd claw back 93 million quid straight away.

On top of that there is all the working tax credit and child tax credit that is paid out. The more kids you breed, the more money you get.

I was taught to go out to work, and pay your way, if they stopped all those spongers getting money from the state too, that would help cut the national debt.

I know someone who has 5 kids, only the husband works, earns a low income, and they have more income, than DH and I, with all the tax credits and working tax credits. We both work and I have to pay for child care to be able to work, and we can only afford to have one child. It just stinks, when they add a hidden tax on our lovely hols. Soon we won't be able to afford those.

I saw those poor people on a programme last week who lost their jobs at woolies and didn't get hardly anything from the state, and yet some people have never paid any tax or ni and get loads of dosh, free homes, etc etc.

No doubt I will have another rant about it tomorrow at 13.30, when he finishes mumbling on and on.

Snap that's us too we can't afford another child either, we both work very hard at physically demanding jobs to the extent it's took it's toll on our health but do we get any breaks.. no sir We barely get anything in the way of financial help from the government and we pay our taxes whil the majority of our neighbourhood gets drunk every day and smokes like there is no tomorrow and never buy their multitudes of kids anything decent so they can buy the booze and ciggies and other stuff that's bad for you. We get the grand inquisition if we get the slightest bit behind on any tax bills while others don't pay a penny all year around. I hate the way the government is taxing us to the hilt when they should be scrapping benefits for those who could work but can't be bothered and there are more that a few of them in my area. I don't have a problem with those who look after disabled relatives or the elderly either not working or only working part-time they are a credit to their families... but sheer bone idle people really get my goat. Why are all us hard working people paying up and we are scraping to get by most months when these idle scum are getting everything paid for by GB and his idiot associates !! It stinks too that most of them manage to get away abroad on holiday every year and nothing is ever said.
Even worse the criminal element are often given more assistance than people who are law abiding citizens they seem to have more rights and the councils all over the country bend over backwards to get them housing and benefits. My DS_I_L struggled when she was made redundant from Wollies but the council didn't want to help her or the local "Job Centre" (or as it's known locally the Joke Shop). Thank goodness she's found another job it's not ideal but the hours suit her and the pay is okay. If the country is in that bad a state they should tell some of the immigrants they are no longer needed and get British people back into work. After all the lack of people in employment will affect the contributions to the NHS and Pensions if you dont have people putting into the put there's going to be nothing there to take out. That's another bone of contention with us too our RM Pension has a whopping big hole in it courtesy of the Labour Party Government raiding the Pension pot for the last few years always promising at some point they would replace it but it never happened they used it to finance benefit payments and tax breaks, well excuse us but that's going to leave us posties broke when we retire. That's why they are desperately looking for a "partner" to join RM to boost the pension plan back up but no-one is that daft everyone is in financial crisis at the moment and can't take on the deficit that the government owes our Pension Plan. Bear in mind this was all before the banks wet belly up
Neither of us drink or gamble nor do we have a car we just can't afford there things our holiday is our only pleasure and we wait 2 years for our two weeks of happiness I think the government has a nerve taxing us extra to leave and re-enter the country. We don't have huge carbon emissions we are very energy efficient we use local transport or walk everywhere except when we go by train or plane (not that often )when you compare it to some vehicle users emissions over a year I'd bet we cause far less so why tax us we already offset the equivalent for the flights.
No wonder we both often dream of moving abroad and living in a better society, while none are ideal there must be a better system than this one.

 

[PaulaSB12]

What's that all about

Claire

This

Anyone departing the UK by land, sea or air will have their trip recorded and stored on a database for a decade.

Passengers leaving every international sea port, station or airport will have to supply detailed personal information as well as their travel plans. So-called "booze crusiers" who cross the Channel for a couple of hours to stock up on wine, beer and cigarettes will be subject to the rules.

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Travel news in brief

In addition, weekend sailors and sea fishermen will be caught by the system if they plan to travel to another country - or face the possibility of criminal prosecution.

The owners of light aircraft will also be brought under the system, known as e-borders, which will eventually track 250 million journeys annually.

Even swimmers attempting to cross the Channel and their support teams will be subject to the rules which will require the provision of travellers' personal information such as passport and credit card details, home and email addresses and exact travel plans.

The full extent of the impact of the government's "e-borders" scheme emerged amid warnings that passengers face increased congestion as air, rail and ferry companies introduce some of the changes over the Easter holidays.

The new checks are being introduced piecemeal by the UK Border Agency. By the end of the year 60 per cent of journeys made out of Britain will be affected with 95 per cent of people leaving the country being subject to the plans by the end 2010.

Yachtsmen, leisure boaters, trawlermen and private pilots will be given until 2014 to comply with the programme.

They will be expected to use the internet to send their details each time they leave the country and would face a fine of up to £5,000 should they fail to do so.

Similar penalties will be enforced on airlines, train and ship operators if they fail to provide details of every passenger to the UK Border Agency.

In most cases the information will be expected to be provided 24 hours ahead of travel and will then be stored on a Government database for around ten years.

The changes are being brought in as the Government tries to tighten border controls and increase protection against the threat of international terrorism.

Currently passports are not checked as a matter of routine when people leave the country.

Exit controls for departure to other countries within the European Union were scrapped by the last Conservative Government. The rest were scrapped by Jack Straw, when he became Home Secretary, after Labour won the election in 1997.

However, passport inspections at ports have gradually been reintroduced as the Government looks to prevent anyone on a Government watchlist fleeing the country.

Gwyn Prosser, Labour MP for Dover and a member of the all-party Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "I think e-borders are absolutely necessary," he said. "Governments of all complexions have always been criticised for not knowing who is in the country. This is a very sophisticated way of counting people in and out."

Britain is not the only country to require such information from travel operators. The USA also demands the same information be supplied from passengers wishing to visit America.

But the scale of the scheme has alarmed civil liberties campaigners.

"Your travel data is much more sensitive than you might think," Phil Booth of the privacy group, NO2ID said.

"Given that for obvious reasons we're encouraged not to put our home address on our luggage labels, and especially given the Government's appalling record on looking after our data, it just doesn't seem sensible for it to pass details like this and sensitive financial information around."

"It is a sad refection of the times that the dream of freedom of movement across Europe has had to take second place to concerns about national security," said Edmund King, the AA's president.

"Travellers will need to ensure that their passports are up to date and that details are input accurately if they don't want to end up in a dark room being grilled by border officials."

Ferry firms and Eurostar - who, unlike airlines, do not gather such detailed passenger information - have also raised concerns about the impact on passengers and warned the plans may not even be legal under EU law.

The changes would mean that Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferry companies will now have to demand passport details from passengers at the time of booking, along with the credit card information and email address which they would have taken at the time of the reservation.

"We are also concerned that the implementation of e-borders could prove expensive and time consuming. For passengers this could mean longer check-in times," a Eurostar spokesman said.

"This will lead to unwelcome queues of vehicles at ferry ports and risks adding unnecessary complications to what always have been and ought to be a simple and straightforward journey," said a spokesman for the Chamber of Shipping.

In particular the Chamber is worried by proposals to include the Republic of Ireland in the e-borders scheme.

"E-borders is a system to carry passport data and at the moment passengers don't need one to cross the Irish Sea."

The plans have also alarmed the Royal Yachting Association. "From a recreational leisure boating point of view, filling in paper work detailing your exact travel plans every time you cross a border is not desirable.," a spokesman said.

"Often the attraction of boat cruising is the freedom it brings – these plans appear to challenge this"

The scheme was condemned by Chris Grayling, the Tories' home affairs spokesman.

"Of course we need to keep a proper record of people as they come in and leave the country.

"My worry is that the Government is creating something which will be unwieldy, impossible to manage and expensive to operate.

"I think this system has to be much simpler."

A UK Border Agency spokesman defended the e-borders scheme. "It allows us to secure the UK's Borders by screening people as they travel in and out of the UK.

"The e-Borders scheme has already screened over 82m passengers travelling to Britain, leading to more than 2,900 arrests, for crimes including murder, drug dealing and sex offences. e-borders helps the police catch criminals attempt to escape justice."

 

[maznorm]

That is absolutely the most disgraceful thing ive heard about this government. Who do they think they are? Is this communist Russia? The thought of this makes me physically sick with worry. I think anyone in their right mind should leave this country while they still can. The government can keep their immigrants, baby farmers and lazy scumbags. Let's see how they get on without the people they expect to pay for it all.

Oh, and Wifey, do you live where I live? It sounds awfully familiar!!

 

[Claire L]

I must say I am glad that passport checks at the ports are increasing again and most details have to be passed by the airline if travelling by plane.

Claire

 

[maznorm]

National security is one thing ( I am totally on board with more security even if it is inconvenient). However, using national security as an excuse to keep tabs on everyone is another.

 

[paulh]

Not to mention the eborders law which means no more spontaneous trips abroad without government permission. If you go without giving the 57 questions the government want to can get fined up to £5000!!!! This country is rapidly becoming a prison.

you do this every time you visit the usa,why complain when our government start to do it.
Paulh

 

[Lizzybear]

I find it interesting when people are so critical of immigration yet want to emigrate themselves...

 

[maznorm]

The US government doesn't lose sensitive data on a regular basis. Also, it makes to want to know who is entering the country. It does not make any sense that a government would need to know your credit card details to allow you to visit other countries. Quite simply the details they require are not relevant to anything

 

[PaulaSB12]

you do this every time you visit the usa,why complain when our government start to do it.
Paulh

Why do I need to tell the government of this country when I leave the country, this information will end up causing robberies.

 

[Claire L]

The US government doesn't lose sensitive data on a regular basis. Also, it makes to want to know who is entering the country. It does not make any sense that a government would need to know your credit card details to allow you to visit other countries. Quite simply the details they require are not relevant to anything

But the person with the credit card MAY NOT be visiting and is just using the card to purchase aa ticket for someone else or themselves to do something rather unpleasant ie suicide bombers. Amazing the number of terrorists who appear 'normal' members of society with jobs, cars, homes, families and credit cards.

Claire

 

[maznorm]

when i emigrate i intend on being a hard working tax payer who abides by the law of the country i choose

 

[Claire L]

Why do I need to tell the government of this country when I leave the country, this information will end up causing robberies.

But how can anyone rob you if you have left?

Claire

 

[Cochise]

Stasi comes to mind here.

It is across the board now, as a plumber i am technically not allowed to fit a toilet without reporting it to someone never mind Gas Related stuff which has passed over to the company rich with MP's looking after their interests. How many people know Corgi doesn't mean sht any more? Gas Safe does not have the ability to advise on technical issues yet Corgi still does, to access this you still have to pay them a membership fee on top of the Gas Safe register but the consumer is not in a financial position to cover these fees when it comes to having work done.
Everything is about watching what we are doing, making sure we cant earn a little bit here and there that they don't know about and yet the MP's and their expenses just defy belief.

Oooh i could go on forever here, travel agents are falling as fast as pubs at the moment and these tax increases are not going to help but the problem with the UK is that we can't seem to offer a fair product at a fair price for more than a couple of years. Companies are buying up caravan sites around the uk, putting a bit of cash into them and doubling the fees, how much value do you get on a 3 bed cottage in Cornwall against a 6 bed villa in Orlando?...They should see an opportunity to lower prices and bring people in but nooo..
I worked for the DSS for 14 years, when i joined the Civil Service was meant to be clean of political bias, now pffft it is nothing but political bias. Cant wait to get the next few plumbing certificates to get out of here.

and breathe....roll on October

 

[ford family]

But how can anyone rob you if you have left?

Claire

Do you take all of your personal belongings with you when you go on holiday?
If not, the act of advising some incompetent and leaky government department that you will be away from home on certain dates leaves you open to being burgled.

The next step will be the need to get permission to go away and an additional tax on that movement to cover the so called climate change cost.

ford family

 

[paulh]

Why do I need to tell the government of this country when I leave the country, this information will end up causing robberies.

so when your out shopping and use your credit card the provider knows your out shopping.they then tell a team your out come round and rob you.
As for data losses don't believe what you read in the paper regarding losses.in most nearly every case its impossible to get the information as its encrypted ect. and the laptop usually stolen is not stolen for this purpose.trust me i know as my brother investigates these IT losses for the government
The headlines are there to make you panic and buy papers.
Trust me your belongings are safe from the government
Paulh

 

[Claire L]

Do you take all of your personal belongings with you when you go on holiday?
If not, the act of advising some incompetent and leaky government department that you will be away from home on certain dates leaves you open to being burgled.

The next step will be the need to get permission to go away and an additional tax on that movement to cover the so called climate change cost.

ford family

Mind you how many people know we are away -

Airline
Travel company
Credit card company
Paper shop
Milkman
Taxi company

I am happier to let the govt know rather than my credit card company!

The list goes on and most of those are also liable to leaks etc, so just as likely to be burgled from someone passing on info from there than a government dept. But no only you can be robbed not your 'property' if you are not present.

Claire

 

[mikki.young]

Topic seems to have changed somewhat. I couldn't see the increase in the budget details I have seen. Did the tax actually go up?

 

[tennisfan]

I must say I am glad that passport checks at the ports are increasing again and most details have to be passed by the airline if travelling by plane.

Claire

I have never know the ports not check passports, but why should we have to register the passport number when we book? Immigration swipe the passport through the computer to check anyway