29/11/2011 BBC Channel Islands News

Good evening. This is BBC Channel Islands. Our top stories: fighting

for our jobs and services, it will a legal challenge to the VAT

changes work? Also, does charity begin at home?

Donations for this overseas project have fallen.

A thousands of Channel Islands -- to an alliance travelled long

distances... Searching for familiar faces, we will see where comforted

of thousands of Channel Island Refugees. -- we will see rare film

footage. It is official, one of the Channel

island's biggest industries will change forever. The price advantage

our online shopping businesses have in the UK market will go as tax

relief on small items they send a there is a to be scrapped. The

Chancellor confirmed his plan in the pre-Budget speech today. It

means thousands of jobs here are at risk as well as the future of our

postal services. A legal challenge is being mounted. First, they

report on the downfall on the -- of the Fulfillment agency.

The Channel Islands online business has come under attack. In March,

George Osborne announced a clampdown on tax avoidance in his

Budget. We are going to tackle the exploitation of low-value

consignment relief that has left our high-street music stores

fighting a losing battle with warehouses in the Channel Islands.

Tough words and tougher measures. At the beginning of this month, the

UK government reduced the value of items from �18 up to �15 that can

be sold VAT-free from the Channel Islands. Days later came the

announcement that the loophole would be closed altogether in April.

Today, a confirmation in it George Osborne's pre-Budget speech.

will end low-budget -- low-value consignment relief in the Channel

Islands which has been used to undercut shops on our high street.

The decision means almost one as a 700 jobs in the Channel Islands and

hang in the balance. Already, postal regulators have granted

permission for price increases at a Jersey and Guernsey Post in case of

a loss of business. A legal challenge is being mounted. While

many will be hoping for the best, others are preparing themselves for

the worst. Just how likely is a legal

challenge to succeed? Garry Bell, a tax director from the accountancy

firm PWC, joined the earlier to explain. I think it will depend on

how well the rules are written. We have not seen details as yet. We

are expecting to see those next week. Do you think there will be

appetite amongst UK it MPs to repeal the closure of the loophole?

I would be very surprised on the UK parliament as to whether they would

want to support a move to appeal. Put bluntly, there is nothing in it

for them. It is not a vote-winner for them. Their own constituents

will see a bit as shipping cash out of the country. There was some good

news for the financial service industry today. Tell us about that.

This excess of the financial services industry in the Highlands

is very much linked to the success of the City. One thing that has

been mooted well-tried is the introduction of a financial

transaction tax. The Chancellor said today that the UK would not

introduce such a tax. He said that they are not going to introduce

this so that is great news for the City. Any other good news? There

was nothing announced on the non- dom consultation. We will probably

see some more commentary on that next week. No news is probably good

news. We will await the next week. Thank you.

Moving on, airlines that fly to Gatwick from the Channel Islands

say they will run a normal schedule tomorrow despite public sector

strikes in the UK. Immigration officers are expected to walk out

and airport officials have warned that passengers could face delays

of up to 12 hours. Travel agents say the biggest impact will be on

those islanders flying into or out of the pair on international

flights. The area most affected are international travellers coming

back into either airport where they have to go through passport control

on arrival. Babel possibly experience some disruption -- they

will possibly experience. Pedestrian as in Guernsey had a

lucky escape today following a car crash. The vehicle collided with a

shop in St Peter Port this afternoon. Police say that the

elderly driver was able to walk away from the wreckage and went to

hospital with minor injuries. Tansy -- Jersey's Nathan Hannay has

been suspended for two weeks by the Rugby Football Union. He was sent

off for a head-butt at Cambridge. Club officials reduced that the ban

after looking affected. Now the RFU has handed out a fortnight

suspension which has been reduced to one week because of the

punishment already given out by Jersey.

A local charity says there has been a drop in 10% in donations of shoe

boxes and it is blazing -- blaming the recession. Mustard Seed Jersey

sense she boxes of gifts to Romania. Packed up and ready to hit the road,

this is the last trailer heading to Romania from the Mustard Seed

Jersey. There are wheelchairs, parcels of different kinds of

household goods... If it is a truckload of biddies donated by you

to those who need them most. This year it has received 10% fewer

donations. It is possibly the economic climate. In my personal

opinion, I think people are looking at their own homes and their own

situation. Essential items such as blankets, clothing and toiletries

will make Christmas a lot more comfortable for the recipients. It

will also make it a lot more rewarding for the givers. To see

the joy in the faces of the young people and the elderly and people

of all ages, they just need some body to look at them and say, we

love you. This 40 ft trailer will soon be driven by a volunteer all

the way to Romania, something that this man did just last month.

a round trip of about 2000 miles. When you compare what we do in

Jersey to what is only available in a limited way in the Romania, there

is no comparison. The presence will be distributed next month and

because the charity has received far fewer boxes for pensioners,

husbands and wives will have to share. Any presents are appreciated,

but with fewer to go around, perhaps the islanders are finding

the luxury of overseas aid, a luxury they can no longer afford.

Later in Spotlight, meet the new mum would have four babies bouncing

rings around her despite being just a few days old.

Can you recognise anyone in this picture? It is from some rare film

footage of thousands of talon island evacuees attic rally in

Manchester in 1943 -- thousands of Channel Island evacuees. The Pathe

newsreel was first shown to just after it was filmed but it has

never been seen on the islands until now.

Despite being in unfamiliar surroundings, the evacuated Channel

Islanders still made an effort to meet up whenever they could.

Thousands of Channel Islanders travelled long distances to have

attend a rally... This footage shows 6000 Channel Islanders

attending a rally at Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester. This man

from Guernsey helped organise his event and his son says that he

remembers it fondly. I was only a young boy at the time but I

remember everyone being very excited and hugging each other. It

really was a very exciting and valuable time for people because it

builds up morale and they were able to go back to different parts of

Great Britain and say, we met someone so! The event programme

shows that Sarnia Cherie and Beautiful Jersey were sunk after

dignitaries addressed the crowd. It was an important part of

maintaining their identity and to make plans for their return.

think if you have been separated from your home town, and a lot of

people still had relatives there, I think it was essential for their

morale to bring be able to gather to discuss when they would be

likely to go up. At the outset of war, we did not think it would be

five years. But we knew at some stage that we would be going back.

It is quieter overnight tonight. Most of the rain will move away and

we will be left with a few showers coming from the English Channel.

For the rest of the night, mainly dry and a turning colder. Tomorrow,

some showers will develop. Thursday looks like it could be another wet

and windy start with a slow improvement in the afternoons.

Unsettled for the next few days. Some dry and clear skies overnight.

Temperatures into single figures. Brisk south-westerly winds which

will continue proud tomorrow. Apart from a few showers coming into

Alderney, most of the day will be dry. Some more persistent rain will

arrive in the evening. Top temperatures of 13 degrees. Close

The forecast for Thursday is quite wet. Outbreaks of rain in the

morning which will be very slow to clear in the afternoon. A brisk

westerly breeze. The best day of the week, Friday, at dry and bright

with a gentle northerly wind. That will back westerly into the evening.

More wet weather at the start of the weekend. Now the summary.

What a difference a year makes. This was the wider scene at last

November as a blanket of white smoke covered Guernsey, closing