|
TAX JUSTICE BUS
VISITS LIVERPOOL
ON Monday, 15 October 2012,
the Tax Bus visited Liverpool on the last day of the 53 day tour of
the UK and Ireland. Christian Aid's and Church Action on Poverty's
Tax Justice Bus has been stopping off around the country,
highlighting how global tax dodging is hurting the poor in the UK
and beyond.
Richard White, the Canon for Mission and Evangelism at Liverpool
Cathedral and the Reverened Howard Sharp, URC Mersey Synod
Moderator, welcomed the Tax Bus to the Cathedral. Many people
climbed on board to learn how tax dodging by multinational companies
costs developing countries $160 billion a year. Tax dodging also
impacts the UK, with £35 billion uncollected. An open meeting was
held in the church, providing visitors with an opportunity to raise
questions.
Tax dodging is an injustice that keeps some people poor while others
get richer. It robs countries of the taxes they are owed, money that
could be spent on essential services such as health, education and
welfare. Both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have condemned
aggressive tax avoidance as morally wrong.
Christian Aid and Church Action on
Poverty think the system must be changed and that David Cameron
should use his global leadership to end financial secrecy, so tax
dodgers have nowhere to hide. The charities want people to:-
'Tick for tax Justice' by signing a petition that calls on
the Prime Minister to push for measures that would require:-
► Companies to report on the profits they
make and taxes they pay in every country in which they operate.
► Tax havens to automatically share
information about the money flowing through them with other
countries.
Niall Cooper, Church Action on Poverty, said:- "At a time when
spending cuts are having a devastating impact on the UK's poorest
people and communities, tax dodging is morally unacceptable. It
amounts to robbing the poor. If the Government just collected the
£35 billion of tax they know is going uncollected, they could invest
properly in tackling UK poverty."
Paul Brannen, Christian Aid, said:- "We estimate that tax
dodging by some unscrupulous multinational companies costs
developing countries at least $160 billion a year, that's
one-and-a-half times the total global aid budget. It's money that
could be used to make huge improvements to public services such as
healthcare and education, better enabling people to sustain
themselves. By making changes to the tax system, people across the
world can live healthier, happier and less hungry lives."
To find out more about the Tax
Justice Bus tour follow them on:- Twitter @taxbus2012, and via:-
christianaid.org.uk/tax-bus.
|
 |
APPEAL FOR
INFORMATION - BURGLARY - FORMBY
MERSEYSIDE Police are appealing for
information following a burglary in Formby on Friday, 12 October
2012, during which a distinctive item was stolen. It is believed the
property on Duke Street was burgled in the early hours of Friday
morning. A number of items were taken from the property including a
distinctive silver I-pod Touch with the following engraved into it:-
"To Ben Love Mum You'll Never Walk Alone" and an Olympus
Digital Camera SLR E 500. House-to-house enquiries have been
conducted and an investigation into the full circumstances of the
incident is ongoing.
Inspector Jim Atherton, said:- "These are
valuable possessions and we are keen to re unite them with their
owner. "We appeal to anyone with any information about the incident,
or who may have been offered to buy an I-pod Touch or camera
matching these descriptions to call us, so we can hopefully reunite
the items with the victim. I would ask that people take the time to
reduce the risk of being a victim by ensuring there property is
secure. Record the details of your valuables, make, models and
serial numbers and ideally register them for free on:-
immobilise.com This is a free national property register. Simply
follow the links from the Merseyside Police website. This also
includes lots of practical crime prevention advice. There have been
a number of reports of thefts from sheds and garages in the area.
Some of them had been left open or insecure allowing easy access to
the offenders. I would urge everyone to ensure they lock their cars
at night and in any event don't leave valuables in them. Secure
Sheds and garages and back gates. Most thieves are opportunists and
these simple precautions will hopefully make you less likely to
become a victim of crime."
Officers would urge anyone who may have witnessed anyone acting
suspiciously in the area in the early hours of Friday, 12 October
2012, or anyone with information to contact Police on:- 0151 777
3055 or Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111.
Top 10 Tips for keeping your house and car safe:-
► Lock all your doors and windows before
you go out or to bed (almost a third of all burglaries in Sefton
this summer happened when a door or window was left insecure).
► If you have any external UPVC doors,
always push the handle up AND turn the key otherwise it will not be
secure.
► Invest in a burglar home and make sure
you use it.
► Use timers on your internal lights and
buy motion-sensor outside ones.
► Keep house and car keys out of sight and
out of reach to stop thieves reaching in and then being able to
steal your car. Buy a lock box or secure tin to keep them in.
► Keep expensive items in your downstairs
rooms out of sight. Use blinds and either bushes or fencing to stop
opportunists peering in.
► Lock bikes and expensive garden
appliances in a solid shed or garage and fit an intruder alarm.
► Use a ultra-violet pen to mark valuables
with your postcode and house number, or better still, register them
at Immobilise.com; a secure database the police can access to return
stolen goods to their rightful owners.
► Be vigilant when cold-callers come
knocking and insist on checking their ID and with their company
before you consider letting them in. Use a door chain and ask them
to wait outside while doing this.
Call Copy Lane police station on:- 0151 777 3117 to book your free
home security. Visit the Merseyside Police
website.
|
