Government World Magazine | Government related news stories and press releases

Jun152017

News story: CMA publishes full decision in phenytoin case

In December last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a record £84.2 million fine on the pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer and a £5.2 million fine on Flynn Pharma after finding that each broke competition law by charging excessive and unfair prices for phenytoin sodium capsules, an anti-epilepsy drug. The CMA also issued directions ordering both companies to reduce their prices, which they have now done.

The decision sets out the evidence gathered by the CMA during its investigation and its reasons for finding that Pfizer and Flynn Pharma infringed competition law.

The decision and fines related to both the prices that Pfizer charged to Flynn Pharma for phenytoin sodium capsules and the prices that Flynn Pharma subsequently charged its customers for the product since September 2012. The CMA found that both companies held a dominant position in their respective markets for the manufacture and supply of phenytoin sodium capsules and each had abused that dominant position by charging excessive and unfair prices.

As a result of Pfizer’s and Flynn Pharma’s price increases, NHS expenditure on phenytoin sodium capsules increased from about £2 million a year in 2012 to about £50 million in 2013. Phenytoin sodium capsules are used in the treatment of epilepsy to prevent and control seizures, and are an important drug for an estimated 48,000 patients in the UK.

The full non-confidential decision and all other information on this investigation are available on the case page.

Pfizer and Flynn Pharma have lodged appeals against the decision with the Competition Appeal Tribunal. The hearing will start on 30 October 2017.

Jun152017

GovWorldMagEU

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Jun152017

EU announces €143 million support package for the crisis in North East Nigeria

GovWorldMagEU

Nigeria is one of four countries across the globe experiencing or at risk of famine this year, along with Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. The package combines short term EU humanitarian aid with long term development support to help those in the affected area, which has been devastated by the terror campaign of Boko Haram. This reflects the Commission’s strategic approach to resilience, which was presented a week ago.

Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, made the following announcement today: “Our support package of €143 million will assist approximately 1.3 million internally displaced people and affected communities in and around the Borno State in Nigeria. Our assistance will not only target the immediate needs of the people but, it will also help to restore basic services, stimulate employment and create livelihood opportunities, particularly for women and young people“.

Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides added: “The European Union is committed to get lifesaving aid to those in need in Nigeria. Emergency aid can help them but to do so aid organisations need safe and full access to do their job. We also need to think about the long term affects and how to help communities recover. I have visited the country several times and seen the suffering caused by the victims of terrorism but also the strength and determination of the local people to rebuild their lives. It is this desire to rebuild a better future that the EU will support.”

This brings total EU support for the crisis in Nigeria’s Borno state to €224.5 million for 2017, following earlier announcements of €81.5 million in humanitarian aid.

In line with its strategic approach to resilience, the European Commission is providing a comprehensive package of humanitarian and development measures for the crisis in Nigeria. EU support will provide immediate humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable populations affected by the ongoing emergency situation, as well as for early recovery and restoration of basic services, such as health, nutrition, education, water access, sanitation and hygiene, solar power, in areas of return or resettlement. Furthermore, it will provide social protection, stimulate employment and livelihood opportunities, with a special focus on women, young people and vulnerable households. By strengthening public administration and financial management systems in the Borno State, it will help improve sustainable public service delivery, crisis management and coordination of related donor activities.

Background

The €143 million announced today consists of development aid of €123 million from the Nigeria 11^th European Development Fund National Indicative Programme and €20 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. It comes in addition to the previously announced €81.5 million in humanitarian funding.

It is further in addition to €177 million in development assistance from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, which was recently allocated to support 17 projects in and around the Lake Chad area.

Borno crisis in Nigeria

Nigeria faces one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history over five million people in need of urgent food assistance. A large proportion of the Borno population has little or no access to clean water, sanitation, shelter, education, primary health care (60% of health infrastructure is either destroyed or damaged), and is food insecure.

There are an estimated 1.7 million internally displaced persons, the majority, living in and around the urban area of Maiduguri, the State Capital of Borno and almost 200,000 refugees from Nigeria in the neighbouring countries around the Lake Chad.

For More Information

Nigeria factsheet

Jun152017

Now SNP must publish its own damning CAP report

S.DouglasScottish Conservatives

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Now SNP must publish its own damning CAP report

15 Jun 2017

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The SNP has been urged to change its mind about keeping secret a damning report into the farmer payments fiasco.

Earlier today, Audit Scotland revealed it would be 2018 “at the earliest” before the Common Agricultural Payments crisis was sorted, and warned of further problems for farmers across the country.

However, the Scottish Government also has its own report into what went wrong, and has again confirmed its intention not to publish it.

Answering a question from Scottish Conservative MSP Finlay Carson, rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing merely said “publishing such detail could compromise the security of the CAP payments IT platform”.

He added that “improvements identified in the report are already underway” and that his officials were working with the company behind the failed IT system.

MSPs on the rural economy and connectivity committee saw parts of the report – carried out by firm Fujitsu – and described it as “highly critical” and “damning”.

Despite that, and the fact Audit Scotland’s own report was made public this morning, the SNP still wants to keep the findings secret.

Scottish Conservative Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson said:

“Quite frankly, this stinks of a cover-up, particularly when Audit Scotland feels able to make public its own report into this fiasco.

“The SNP has presided over a CAP crisis which has seen Scotland’s rural communities starved of hundreds of millions of pounds.

“Now, in another blow to farmers, the SNP has ruled out publishing a report that might help us all get to the bottom of these many issues.

“That is an insult to everyone in Scotland who cares about our rural communities.

“It’s clear the Scottish Government is more concerned with saving face and playing politics than getting down to the job of serving our vital rural communities.”

Below is a parliamentary question from Scottish Conservative MSP Finlay Carson, and the answer from rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing:

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): “To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the report by Fujitsu regarding the IT system used to process CAP payments.”

S5O-01046

Fergus Ewing:

“The report from Fujitsu contains sensitive commercial information as well as technical detail which has implications for cyber-security – publishing such detail could compromise the security of the CAP payments IT platform and, at this critical juncture in the payments schedule, I’m sure the member would agree that would not be a desirable outcome.

I can reassure the member that improvements identified in the Report are already underway and that my officials are working with CGI, the main IT supplier, and Fujitsu on an incremental improvement programme to provide longer term sustainability, scalability and flexibility to the CAP payment system.”

Audit Scotland blasted the Scottish Government’s failed CAP payments in a hard-hitting report published this morning:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40274009

When the Fujitsu report was first shown to MSPs, the Scottish Conservatives urged the SNP to publish it in full:
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/05/snp-must-publish-secret-report-which-blasts-cap-payment-chaos/

Jun152017

News story: Annual return service for charities

HM GovernmentHM Government

A reminder to submit your annual return for 2016, and information about the 2017 annual return service.

All charities have a legal responsibility to send an annual return to the Charity Commission. Failing to do so risks the public’s trust in your charity and its reputation.

If you haven’t filed your return for 2016 you have 10 months from the end of your charity’s financial year to do so. If you are experiencing difficulties logging into the system, it could be that the service is experiencing high demand at that time – try it again later.

What you need to submit depends on your annual income. If your charity’s income is:

under £10,000, then you just need to submit your charity’s income and expenditure figures – the easiest way to do this is through the annual return service
between £10,001 and £25,000, you need to complete an annual return form
more than £25,001, you must submit an annual return form with a set of annual accounts as well as an independent examiners’ or audit report and a trustees’ annual report (TAR)

Our guide to the accounting essentials for charities will help you understand the type of accounts your charity has to prepare, and whether they need an audit or independent examination.

All Charitable Incorporated Organisation’s (CIO) need to submit an annual return and annual accounts. If your CIO has an income over £25,000 you also need to submit an independent examiners’ or audit report along with a trustees’ annual report.

We are developing a new, improved annual return service for 2017.

The new system will make it easier to file your charity’s accounts and will be available to use from 31 August 2017.

We will let you know when the new system is available. Keep a check on this website and our Twitter feed for information.