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Not a 'renewal' says Tribunal, Top trainers refusing appeal get bonus

15th June 1973, Page 31
15th June 1973
Page 31
Page 31, 15th June 1973 — Not a 'renewal' says Tribunal, Top trainers refusing appeal get bonus
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• Hugh Williamson of Inverness failed in an appeal in Edinburgh against a refusal by the Scottish deputy LA at Inverness on February 8 to "renew" his existing licence for three vehicles. The chairman, Mr G. D. Squibb QC, pointed out that renewal was not the proper term, What was involved was a new licence.

Mr Menzies Campbell, appearing for Williamson, said that this had not been scheduled as a "show cause appearance" but as a straightforward application for renewal which had been refused in total. It was clear from the evidence that the appellant had failed to keep his undertakings these facts were not challenged. But the firm had given satisfactory explanations of overloading offences.

The prohibitions had occurred in 1970 before the issue of the licence, said Mr. Campbell. The refusal of. all three vehicles was too severe. A curtailment would have been in order, not an outright refusal; the applicant had not been called to show cause. If it had been intended to take away a man's livelihood there was some obligation on the LA to consider what hardship would arise.

In giving decision the Tribunal said that this was a refusal to grant a new licence for three vehicles. The deputy LA had taken into consideration evidence of how vehicles had been maintained and that evidence was very unsatisfactory; he had also considered a conviction for overloading, for defective tyres for cuts in tyres and operation of a vehicle without an operator's licence. The applicant had admitted six previous convictions. This was a highly unsatisfactory record and the Tribunal thought the deputy LA was quite right in refusing a new licence in view of this previous record. • The Distribution Industry Training Board is shortly to pay out £2.7m in the form of bonus grants to nearly 2400 firms with the best training records in the industry.

The firms concerned have earned 10,000 "bonus units" under the DITB's third grant scheme which offered special incentives to companies exceeding the Board's basic requirements during 1971/72. Each bonus unit is worth 8 per cent of the levy firms pay to the Board and therefore varies in monetary terms from firm to firm.

Among the bonus earners are many of the largest firms in the industry but the top five firms are small firms with payrolls under £60,000. They will each recoup grants totalling 160 per cent of the levy paid to the DITB. The average total grants payable to bonus-earners will be about 110 per cent of levy.


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