DVSA need your help to make GOV.UK simpler, clearer and faster for finding and using publically available information about MOT. To do this, we’re planning a new way of structuring the information on the website. We’d like you to test how easy it will be to use. This is so we can make any changes that are needed before it’s launched. The exercise The short exercise will take between 5 and 10 minutes to do. You’ll be shown headings for 15 short tasks and asked which heading you’d click on. There are no right or wrong answers. Start the survey now

Follows the Southern Cross closures and others. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20564151

on twitter about 2 hours ago Bill confirms powers to increase consumer protection, includes better regulation of payday loans first laid in Parliament Jan 2012 #FSBill

We'll who would have believed it? Just looking for ESA 2012 rates when I came across this little gem on the new government portal website. https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/what-youll-get Now I know the DWP and ministers want it to be JSA light but as far as I'm aware preparation and looking for are two separate and fundamentally different things? You can complain highlight errors on the site by going to the home page, scroll down and select contact us.

The US Government have announced a $1b lawsuit against Bank of America for toxic loans. There have been 8 others this year. Published fines from the FSA show the growing figures following market abuse in the UK. Here is their list from last 10 years. Total amount of fines in 2002 - £7,444,000. Total amount of fines in 2003 - £10,975,000. Total amount of fines in 2004 - £24,769,000. Total amount of fines in 2005 - £16,965,860. Total amount of fines in 2006 - £13,309,143. Total amount of fines in 2007 - £5,341,500. Total amount of fines in 2008 - £22,706,526. Total amount of fines in 2009 - £35,005,522. Total amount of fines in 2010 - £89,121,281.50 Total amount of fines in 2011 - £66,144,839. In 2011 fines were levied against a number of UK Banks and Investment companies,here is a list of some of the biggest fines; 11/01/11 £2,800,000 Royal Bank of Scotland and National Westminister Bank For multiple failings in the way they handled customers' complaints 18/01/11 £7,700,000 Barclays Bank plc For failures in relation to the sale of two funds 26/01/11 £1,127,559 Barclays Capital Securities For failing to protect and segregate on an intra-day basis client money held in sterling market deposits. 18/04/11 £1,400,000 Norwich and Peterborough Building Society For failing to give its customers suitable advice in relation to the sale of Keydata products. 25/05/11 £3,500,000 Bank of Scotland For the mishandling of complaints about retail investment products 21/07/11 £6,895,000 Willis Limited For failings in its anti-bribery and corruption systems and controls. These failings created an unacceptable risk that payments made by Willis Limited to overseas third parties could be used for corrupt purposes. 25/07/11 £630,000 Swift 1st Limited For unfairly treating some customers facing mortgage arrears. 14/09/11 £494,900 Towry Investment Management Limited For compliance failings in respect of management and protection of client money and Towry’s communications with the FSA. 20/09/11 £2,000,000 Michiel Wieger Visser For market abuse 17/10/11 £4,000,000 Rameshkumar Satyanarayan Goenka Financial penalty of US$ 6,517,600 (approx £4 million) plus restitution of US$ 3,103,640 (approx £1.9 million) for engaging in market abuse. 25/10/11 £5,950,000 Credit Suisse (UK) Limited For systems and controls failings in relation to sales by its private bank of structured capital at risk products (SCARPs). 07/11/11 £6,300,000 Coutts & Company For failure to comply with Principle 9 in connection with its sale of the AIG Life Premier Access Bond and Premier Bond, Enhanced Variable Rate Fund. 02/12/11 £10,500,000 HSBC Bank Plc For failings in suitability of investment advice provided by NHFA Limited 05/12/11 £3,500,000 Integrated Financial Arrangements Plc For compliance failings in relation to the FSA’s Client Money rules. 19/12/11 £2,800,000 Combined Insurance Company of America For breaches of Principle 3 and 6 that put customers at risk of receiving unsuitable advice.

GOV.UK is the new Government information website that will replace Direct Gov and the Business Link websites from Wednesday 17th October 2012. The idea behind GOV.UK is to bring almost everything published by the Government together under one ‘domain name’ i.e. GOV.UK – and the new website will also include the business advice and information formerly included on the Business Link website. Launched this week, the website will aim to be a simpler, clearer and faster way to use government services online. The designers of the website, the Government Digital Service, claim that ‘user needs’ rather than an assumption of what the Government thinks are needed, will be at the heart of the new service. One of the design principles behind the GOV.UK is to make the website as inclusive, legible and readable as possible - the people who most need digital services are quite often the people who will find them hardest to use. https://www.gov.uk/

HSBC is to allow customers to use the Post Office counter network for basic transactions following criticism by the government. Most UK banks, except for HSBC and Santander, allow customers to make withdrawals and deposits at post offices. A previous consumer minister last year accused the duo of "holding out" against offering the service. HSBC said that it was changing its policy owing to customer demand. A year ago it had claimed that fewer than three in 10 of its customers actually wanted such access. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19623327

Follows claims of £40m savings achieved by restructuring. The price reductions affect all passports and services -At a glance; 32 page adult standard down £5.00 to £72.50 ( Fast Track down £9.50 to £103) 48 page adult standard down £5.00 to £85.50 (Fast track down £9.50 to £111) Adult Premium 32p (4 hour service) down £1.50 to £128 Adult Premium 48p (4 hour Premium ) down £1.50 to £137 Child Std down £3 to £46.00 Child Fast track down £9.50 to £87.00 Child Premium (4hours) down £3 to £106.50 http://lifeintheuk.net/index.php/news/price_for_passports_to_be_reduced_from_september/

Well with oil prices falling to $90 a barrel and forecasters saying it could drop to $50 as demands fall,you can bet they will be looking at a bigger increase than 3p come January. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18588855

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/households-social-tariffs-230423610.html