Imran Kayani, of Longwood Gardens, Clayhall, a car salesman, has been sentenced to one year in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court last week following a four-day trial, after he knowingly sold two unsafe vehicles. The 34-year-old is the director of Essex and East London Cars, based in Ley Street, Ilford.

The prosecution was commenced when two customers who had purchased cars complained to Trading Standards. The customers complained because they believed the cars they bought were unsafe cars, and they had not been told that the cars had been involved in serious accidents.

We are in dispute with a credit hire company over the definition of a contract repair, and the Insurer will not pay our contract repair invoice.  They say that ‘a contract repair is what is estimated’ and want us to repair the vehicle as per the original estimate.

We did not repair the vehicle as per the estimate which would have resulted in the vehicle being written off. We agreed, with the Engineer, to do a ‘Contract Repair’ and repair the vehicle for considerably less than the estimate.

The Customer was notified and agreed to this option because they wanted to keep the vehicle rather than have their vehicle written off. The work provider is refusing to pay because we have not followed the estimate. Can you confirm what is a ‘contract repair’? 

From 1 October 2014, the old paper tax disc or Vehicle Excise Duty, ‘VED’, will be discontinued and DVLA will use a number plate recognition system to catch vehicles being operated without VED.

These changes are likely to affect Dealers who will no longer be able to purchase and use vehicles with VED still remaining. After 1 October 2014 VED will not transfer when a vehicle is sold. Dealers need to consider and may be required to prepare for these changes to ensure they have a sufficient number of trade plates to continue to operate.

Corruption and bribery are criminal offences under current UK legislation and the Bribery Act 2010, which came into force on 1 July 2011. Corruption includes bribery, which is the offering, promising or giving and the requesting or accepting of a bribe. It is an offence irrespective of where it takes place.

Businesses should assess the possibility of them becoming involved in corruption and bribery, and should take reasonable steps to prevent corruption and bribery from arising. Reasonable steps are likely to include implementing an anti-corruption policy, staff training and, where applicable ensuring that the companies that you deal with are acting appropriately to minimise the possibility of corruption.