Connect with us

Published

on

Private COVID-19 testing companies will face £10,000 fines for taking advantage of holidaymakers as 91 are removed from the government’s approved list following a review.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said following a review by the Competition and Markets Authority into the private COVID testing market, 135 providers have also had their inaccurate prices corrected.

“They will be removed from the list if they advertise misleading prices again,” he said.

“It is completely unacceptable for any private testing company to take advantage of holidaymakers and we are taking action to clamp down on cowboy behaviour.”

Mr Javid asked the competition watchdog a month ago to investigate the PCR test market over concerns of “exploitative behaviour” and vastly different costs to travellers who must take the tests on return to the UK.

Passengers complained of significant price differences and levels of service from the more than 400 firms offering the tests.

Some were failing to send out the tests on time or were not returning the results in time while others were changing their names so they appeared at the top of the alphabetical list.

More from UK

The government has a list of companies and clinics offering COVID testing, but many lack full accreditation and more than 100 outlets in August were charging £200 or more.

Typically, the tests cost £75.

Mr Javid added: “Through our regular reviews and spot-checks, we have identified even more providers that were messing around with costs and have now removed 91 providers from Gov.uk and corrected inaccurate prices of 135 private providers who will be removed from the list if they advertise misleading prices again.

“From 21 September, in order to ensure travel test providers are performing to a high legalised standard, there will be tough new penalties for companies that fail to follow the law, including fixed fines of up to £10,000.”

Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker.

Analysis of the list by the Liberal Democrats showed just 11% of the providers offered tests for under £50, with the cheapest offering prices ranging from £20.

Some 24% of the providers were charging more than £200 – with the Mayfair GP clinic listed as £575, although its own website said prices start at £399.

All passengers arriving from green list countries, and people fully vaccinated in the UK and a few other nations entering from amber list countries, have to take a test on the second day after arriving in the UK.

Those arriving from amber list countries who are not fully vaccinated, or were vaccinated in countries not on the approved list, must take tests on day two and eight in the UK.

They must be purchased from a private provider before travelling.

Continue Reading

Politics

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

Published

on

By

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

Most RWAs remain isolated and underutilized instead of composable, DeFi-ready building blocks. It’s time to change that.

Continue Reading

Politics

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces $2.7M deficit amid special administration

Published

on

By

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Thousands of savers face potential losses after a $2.7 million shortfall was discovered at Ziglu, a British crypto fintech that entered special administration.

Continue Reading

Politics

Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

Published

on

By

Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

Politics Hub: Catch up on the latest

Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

Read more:
Reeves won’t rule out tax rises

What is a wealth tax and how would it work?

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈      

Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.

Continue Reading

Trending