Whitey Grandad

If Britain is seeking to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, then why have we allowed millions of extra people into the country? The government was planning on an extra 2.5 million homes over the next decade which all have to be heated, and an extra 10 million people is at least an extra 17%.

There are two sorts of people in the world: Those who hate clowns... ...and clowns.

I can think of plenty of other uses for us.

You have to sign a form declaring the amount of the assets of the estate. There is even a declaration form for estates which are under, but close to, the exempt threshold. These gifts to your children are part of your 'potentially exempt amount'. Depending on the amounts involved, I would advise you now to consider a 'deed of variation' which effectively changes the terms of the will and passes these gifts direct from your mother to your children. This amounts to re-writing the will and can be done so long as all the beneficiaries agree, and if children are involved in the will, providing they are not disadvantaged. You have (I think) two years from death to do this and these days the deed must be registered and there must be a declaration that this is being done for 'inheritance tax purposes'. This would take these gifts out of your estate when you die. It might be worth your while taking professional advice. Good luck!

Yes, all gifts made 7 years before death are tax-free. After that there is a graduated scale but this does not reduce the amount of tax that must be paid, contrary to what might be implied in the financial columns in the Sunday papers. The graduation only applies to what proportion of the money is claimed from the estate, and how much from the gifts. Gifting a house in instalments would only save tax if the gifts were made before the 7 years.The maximum annual gift is there to avoid small sums being liable, and to stop you giving away a large nest-egg in instalments.

You can also bring forward the previous year's allowance if you haven't used it. Gifts made 7 years before death are also tax free no matter how large. Regular gifts 'out of income' are tax-free provided that they do not affect the donor's standard of living. For example, if your mum always gives you a Ferrari on you birthday and she can still live comfortably, then they are also tax-free.

Good point, but it's only duty free up to a certain threshold, even for first- time buyers.

That would involve two lots of stamp duty, once when she buys it and once again when you do. Better if you buy it with a gift from her. You might have difficulty getting a low-rate mortgage should you need one, it depends on your deposit which needs to be at least 25%.

Only if you actually own the property, not if you're renting.

The tax would be on £20k less here annual allowance. There used to be other indexation allowances as well but I'm out of date.

Please, be our guest and lead the way!

I totally agree, but we must be prepared to accept that it my take some time to get back on course. I'll settle for continuous steady improvement.

It'll only give them false hope before the bottom falls out or their world again. Life can be cruel sometimes.

Dismantle it right down to the metal disc itself. Scratch a screwdriver across it a few times. Then use it as a coaster and never let it out of your sight. You should be ok. The magnets are quite cool though.

I'm off to my old university college tomorrow for a reunion dinner, class of '68 and all that. I've dropped in to M&S to get a larger pair of trousers for my dinner jacket or else I won't be able to eat anything. It'll be good to catch up with all my old mates again. They are all respectable upright citizens now, county-court judges, film producers, captains of industry and all that sort of thing, yet I remember them as a load of 19-year old ****heads. The frightening thing is the way that the buildings won't have changed a bit, but all the bodies will have withered and faded, those of us that are left. I'm quite looking forward to it.

I agree completely. In the early seventies we went to Butser Hill for an afternoon. The next time we went there were double yellow lines everywhere and a pay & display car park. This countryside belongs to us, not some wonkers in the Council.

Almost anyone is a better right back than Lloyd James. He was one of the most ineffective that I have ever seen in that position.

It wouldn't have mattered if we had signed a replacement in the summer.

I think he was played out of position at RB which was not really fair to him. In midfield he sometimes looked a lot better. Let's see how he gets on at other clubs before we pass final judgment.

Just have your website in China or Taiwan. They ignore copyright there.

They used to have a good deal at the weekend on German trains provided they were local trains only. My son and his student friends once went from Braunschweig to Austria for the skiing and it only cost a few Pfennigs.

For some reason some people like him, but he does talk an awful load of ********. His proposals for taxing pension contributions are the most idiotic I have ever heard.

Which date is that this year?

Me too. I'd like to think that we could do better.

Thanks Ron, I was hoping I cold rely on you. I wonder what effect that had at the end of the season?