UK GOVERNMENT, DEPARTMENTS & AGENCIES

UK Government Central Office of Information The COI directory site home page, with many links for departmental press releases.

UK House of Commons The United Kingdom Parliament site with links to: - Today in the House of Commons, Hansard (House of Commons daily debates), Public Bills before Parliament, Select Committee Reports, MP's own Web pages directory (not many active pages as yet but certain to increase), the Political Parties and more.

UK Parliament Information about the UK Parliament, The House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The Bank of England Official web pages.

H M Customs & Excise Information Service home page for the public and for business.

Inland Revenue including the Contributions Agency (National Insurance) with effect from 1 Apr 99.

Department for Education & Skills Home page with links to all sections on the DES website. This site superseded the website of the Department of Education & Employment in April 2002.

Department of Social Security - Contributions Agency The Contributions Agency was transferred to the Inland Revenue on 1 April 1999. Follow this link for the new connection or enter via the Inland Revenue link above.

Department of Social Security - Benefits Agency Slow to load home page leading to a useful site providing information on available state benefits. Easy navigation after the first page has loaded.

Department of Trade & Industry Home page. Order free of charge DTI publications by Email from this site - for small firms follow the home page link to "publications for small firms"

Companies House Home page with free of charge search facility for basic company information.

UK Data Protection Registry Data protection summary, New data protection law, Guidance notes, Press releases, Registration and other related matters. A copy of the Register can be searched online.

UK National Retail Price Index summary table This links to the relevant page on The Devon County Council site showing a table covering many years.

UK Online for Business The DTI's UK online for business provides small businesses with impartial advice on using Information and Communications Technologies.

UKonline Central Government central services directory Links to UK central government web sites.

UKonline Local Government services directory Links to UK local government web sites. If your town council, district council or county council has a web site, you should be able to find it listed here.

UK Public Records Office Putting the entire catalogue of documents online.

UK Retail Price Index detailed information and other UK Government indices This links to the Office for National Statistics. Click on "statistics" in the navigation panel on the left, then "press releases". Reports can be seen in either Web page format or in Adobe Acrobat .pdf file Reader format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat reader program on your computer, click here to jump to the Computer Software section on this page, download the program free of charge direct from the official Adobe Web Site, follow the instructions to install it on your machine, then return to this page to link to this site.

UK Trading Standards Consumer and business advice pages, help articles, product recalls, current issues and more.

The Environment Agency of England & Wales The official UK Government site on environmental issues, including Floodline. Check out the flood plain maps section to see if your area could be at risk.

Government Office for SW England The Government Office for the South West of England -1 of the 9 Government Offices in the regions of England.

The Competition Act 1998 (UK) The Act came into force on 1 March 2000. Read these pages on the Office of Fair Trading site to find out how it will affect you and/or your business.

The Disability Discrimination Act (UK) What your business needs to know.

The Distance Selling Regulations (UK) Protection for consumers shopping by telephone, mail order, over the Internet and by digital TV. Links to the DTI web site for information for consumers and for businesses.

The Investigatory Powers Act (UK) Giving employers the right to legally monitor employee's telephone calls, Internet activity and Emails without their consent. Link to the UK Government Home Office web site section devoted to this topic.

Also see the link below under The Euro,

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YEAR 2000 DATE PROBLEM

Year 2000 Date Problem Support Centre Directory page on The Computer Information Centre site.

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THE EURO (Information sites and the Euro currency symbol)

The HM Treasury Euro Preparation Unit The UK Government pages with a lot of information and links. Order free factsheets from this site.

The Official European Union Web Site Information and downloadable slide show presentations about the Euro. You will need the Adobe Acrobat .pdf file reader to view, download and print from some of the pages on this site. If you do not have this program on your computer, click here to jump to the Computer Software section on this page, download the program free of charge direct from the official Adobe Web Site, follow the instructions to install it on your machine, then return to this page to link to this site.

Postscript Euro symbol from Adobe Free downloadable fonts.

Euro symbol for Apple Mac Free downloadable font for Mackintosh machinery.

Euro symbol from Hewlett Packard Free downloadable fonts and also a solution to allow printing from DOS.

Euro symbol from Lexmark Downloadable fonts for Lexmark printers.

Euro symbol from Microsoft Free downloadable fonts for Microsoft Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.1 & 3.11 versions together with a lot of information about usage and links to other sites. Note that the Euro symbol is already in Mac OS 8.5, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP and MS Office 2000 and XP. Downloadable updated fonts for the Web are available - scroll down to the bottom of the first page and click on "Typography Developments". Details of each update can then be viewed by clicking on the red sections of text.

Euro symbol from Xerox Downloadable fonts for Xerox printers.

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PROFESSIONAL BODIES & OTHER ORGANISATIONS - UK

ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) Independent and impartial advice to prevent and resolve disputes and build harmonious relations at work.

The Association of British Insurers The ABI's consumer information service Web Site.

British Bankers' Association Home page. This site includes a list of member Banks with links to their respective Web pages.

British Building Societies Association Home page. This site includes a list of member Building Societies with links to their respective Web pages.

British Chambers of Commerce The National voice for local business. Includes details of services, membership benefits and all the office addresses.

Confederation of British Industry - UK The CBI Website sponsored by IBM UK Ltd. About the CBI, the CBI at work, news, business services etc.

Federation of Small Businesses - UK The voice for UK smaller business.

ISO9001 quality standard in plain English Follow this link to read details of this and other ISO standards in understandable terms.

The English Legal System A summary on the Web site of The Law Society of England and Wales.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Guide to services for the public.

Your legal rights Free legal information covering the law in England and Wales.

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NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES & NEWS ONLINE (selection of free sites)

The BBC news site provides quality detailed news with outside links.

The BBC Business News The business news pages on the BBC site.

The ITN news site Home page for the ITN online news service.

NewsNow includes TV listings. Updated about every 5 minutes so, if you call back frequently to this site, be sure that you are not linking to earlier page versions stored in your computer.

The Financial Times The highly respected business and finance broadsheet.

The Times and Sunday Times Home page covering both publications, including access to the Educational and Literary supplements.

The Daily Telegraph Home page for the extensive online edition.

The Economist International weekly journal of news, ideas, opinions and analysis.

Business Week Check out the daily briefing.

Internet Magazine Worth a look - lots of useful articles on this site.

The Computer Information Centre Directory of IT magazines & newspapers.

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE SITES (including downloadable)

For downloadable Euro symbols, jump to "The Euro" heading by clicking here

Adobe Acrobat Reader Obtain a free program direct from the official Adobe Web Site to view, navigate and print PDF files (.pdf file extension). This software is already an essential tool for getting the best out of many web sites including UK Government sites.

Dragon Naturally Speaking Speech recognition software, including web navigation facilities (see also Philips FreeSpeech below).

Epson Up to date driver files for Epson printers, scanners etc from this site together with much other information.

Freewarehome A source for a vast amount of free software for windows based computers under many different categories, including free clipart for personal and commercial use.

Hewlett Packard Up to date Hewlett Packard printer driver Up to date Hewlett Packard printer driver, scanner software etc upgrades from this site together with troubleshooting advice and other information.

Ipswitch WS-FTP For transferring files to and from Internet Service Providers (ISP's) and Internet Access Providers (IAP's).

McAfee (UK site) Computer security software. Visit the section on the web site for up to date information on computer viruses. (see also Symantec below).

Microsoft The main Microsoft site with useful free of charge upgrades available for Microsoft software, together with troubleshooting advice and a lot of information about the use of Microsoft products.

Microsoft Internet Explorer To update your browser, link to this page on the Microsoft Web Site to download the most recent versions of Internet Explorer™ browser software and also to read information about the programs.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 - independant review Read about what's in it for you. (click here to return to the top of the page)

Microsoft Office 2000 Visit the Microsoft site for details. Check out what software you get in the various versions that are available. If you are a student and qualify under the Microsoft Student Licensing program, substantial price discounts are available on this software.

Microsoft Office 2000 Independent Review To upgrade or not to upgrade? - the big question in many people's minds. This independent reviewer's report on the Ziff-Davis Web site provides useful information and may help you make up your mind.

Microsoft Office Template Gallery Online gallery of free of charge templates for use with Office versions 97 and 2000 for Windows, covering business forms, letters, publications etc.

Microsoft, UK technical support Their UK Support Web Site home page.

Netscape Navigator To update your browser, link to the Netscape Netcentre computing page. Click on the download department in the navigation panel on the left of the screen to download the most recent versions of Netscape Navigator browser software and also to read information about the programs.

Philips FreeSpeech Speech recognition software, including web navigation facilities (see also Dragon Naturally Speaking above).

Software Warehouse Extensive selection by mail order.

Software Warehouse software download shop Open all year, 24 hours a day.

Symantec (UK site) Norton computer security software. Visit the Antivirus Research Centre section for up to date information on computer viruses. Test out your PC's using the online Security Analyser and the Virus Checker. (see also McAfee above)

The Computer Information Centre Directory of software download sites.

WinZip for compressing files and unzipping compressed files (.zip file extension and other file compression formats). A very useful tool for releasing valuable hard disk space and speeding up your computer, especially if you work with graphics. The software enables copying of one or more large files from the hard drive onto multiple standard sized floppy disks. Use this software to compress Email file attachments and reduce your time online.

Shareware and freeware computer software sites

Davecentral Downloadable software library site for Windows and Linux operating systems. Select the Sitemap tab for a detailed list of categories and the subheads under each category.

Shareware Downloadable software library site for an extensive range of software for many purposes and many operating systems.

Tucows Shareware Downloadable software library site for an extensive range of software for many purposes and many operating systems. Nice, easy to follow, front page menu.

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COMPUTER HARDWARE & PERIPHERALS

Action Extensive range of equipment and associated items from many manufacturers. Order online.

Apple Computers ("Mac") One of the main resources of information for Macintosh computers.

Avontech Computer Systems This link will move you to the listing under the heading of "Nailsea and Adjacent Area Local Businesses".

Dell Computers Buy machines online direct from Dell using this site.

Dell refurbished machinery Visit the Dell Factory Outlet pages for computer machinery and systems refurbished and guaranteed by Dell.

Designsystems This link will move you to the listing under the heading of "Nailsea and Adjacent Area Local Businesses".

Epson Printers, scanners etc. Well worth a look to see what is available.

Gateway Computers This links direct to the United Kingdom pages on the Gateway site. Buy machines online using this link.

Gryphon Computer Support Ltd This link will move you to the listing under the heading of "Nailsea and Adjacent Area Local Businesses".

Hewlett Packard Computers, printers, scanners etc. Well worth a look to see what is available.

IBM - UK Details of IBM products and services. Links to IBM world-wide sites.

Internet hard disk Are you getting short on hard disk storage space? This link will take you to a site where files can be stored on and retrieved from the Web free of charge.

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FINANCIAL

Currency exchange rates Visit Oanda for tables of daily current and historic exchange rates.

Economic Forecasts from NatWest Some knowledge of technical financial abbreviations and terminology is needed to understand these business forecasts. If you visit this site regularly, check the "last updated" date at the top left of the page and <shift> refresh to ensure that you have the latest version.

FT Your Money Personal finance website focusing on process rather than products in order to help users to better understand money management.

UK Online insurance quotes Quotations for motor, home contents, travel etc.

ISA's The Inland Revenue online booklet about Individual Savings Accounts (ISA's) and how they work, so you can decide if saving in an ISA would be right for you. Reports can be seen in either Web page format or in Adobe Acrobat .pdf file Reader format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat reader program on your computer, click here to jump to the Computer Software section on this page, download the program free of charge direct from the official Adobe Web Site, follow the instructions to install it on your machine, then return to this page to link to this site.

Money Supermarket (New link added) "Shopping" and comparisons site for domestic and business mortgages, personal loans, savings accounts, mobile phone arrangements, electricity, gas and other deals. (click here to return to "what's new")

Money Web (UK) Personal finance Web Site.

Money World (UK) Personal finance Web Site.

National Savings (UK) Home page.

Share Dealing Online The UK site of the online brokerage firm Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenette. Now in the UK, they have been running their award winning US site for 10 years.

Virgin Money The Virgin site for searching for a mortgage, ISA or unit trust for individual circumstances, online share dealing financial and also for financial news and information.

Yahoo UK Finance Index Page With links to many different types of finance web sites.

UK Budget 2003 Link

UK Budget 2003 Tax Tables This links to our own budget 2003 page on this website listing information for 2003/2004, and also 2002/2003, 2001/2002, 2000/2001 and 1999/2000.

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BUSINESS SUPPLIES, SERVICES & ECOMMERCE SOLUTIONS

Autotrader Online vehicle showroom, many with photographs. Browse generally or search for the specific make, model and specification you are interested in. The online version of the popular paper publication.

Exchange & Mart Online advertising site for business equipment and services, motors and also home and leisure.

Euroffice Online source for office supplies, furniture, services and business machines.

Parker's Guide Link direct to the prices and values section of this renowned car buying and advice service. Find out prices for the make and model that you are considering and the trade in value for your present vehicle.

IBM Electronic Commerce (e-business) An introduction to electronic commerce for businesses of all sizes. Be open 24 hours a day World-wide for taking orders, selling goods and services and receiving payment online in a safe environment. Check out the examples.

Royal Mail Postcode finder (Frequently used link) Up to 50 free of charge searches a day permitted but your browser must be configured to accept cookies for it to work. (click here to return to "what's new")

The Computer Information Centre Index page to this extensive directory site covering many computing related topics and resources.

UK Online Telephone Directory (Frequently used link) The entire BT telephone book database on the Internet. Minimal information is required to conduct searches, which are easy but may be a bit slow at times. This links to the BT home page, then select "Directory Enquiries" from the right hand "BT's popular destinations" navigation panel. (click here to return to "what's new")

Ecommerce Solutions

Actinic Ecommerce enablers Actinic Catalogue for setting up an Internet sales channel, Actinic Business for business to business selling (b2b) and other solutions for the smaller to medium sized business. Including secure payment facilities. UK providers. Worth checking.

"Shop@assistant" An Internet shopping solution package from The Floyd Consultancy (UK provider), including secure payment facilities. For the smaller to medium sized business. This site can be slow to load but is worth waiting for.

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NAILSEA & ADJACENT AREA LOCAL BUSINESSES

Located in Nailsea unless otherwise stated beside site name

Avontech Computer Systems Ltd (Backwell). Leading West of England builders of PC's and network systems. Suppliers of peripherals, computer components and digital video applications. Online price list. (click here to return to "computer hardware and peripherals")

Bales, Chartered Accountants Accounting, taxation, computing and planning. Accounting software installation, training and support. Serving clients both local and elsewhere in mainland UK from Scotland to Cornwall. Link to our own home page.

Cole Web Design Web site design and site maintenance.

Designsystems Computers built for your specific needs, technical support, hardware and software installations, web site design.

Golden Valley Veterinary Hospital Domestic and farm animal veterinary surgeons. Veterinary hospital.

Graham Tyson Ltd Packaging containers and supplies for the food industry.

Gryphon Computer Support Ltd The "small business computer department" for computers built for your specific needs, technical support, software development, training, hardware and software installations. Developers and publishers of "AIMS" - Auction Management Software.

Henson, Burdge & Evans Estate agents, surveyors, valuers, auctioneers, letting & land agents.

Nyala Group Direct sales for educational software products. Design of technical and hardware solutions.

Wadge, Rapps & Hunt (Solicitors) (Backwell) Company and partnership work, conveyancing, commercial leases, commercial litigation, trusts and settlements, wills and probate, debt collection.

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SUBJECTS OF GENERAL INTEREST

A beginner's Guide to Effective Email The do's and don'ts of good Email style, together with effective techniques to get your message across. A good introduction for both business and personal users.

Cambridge Dictionary of English Now online and including the Cambridge Dictionary of Idioms.

Email you can access anywhere Check your POP mail from any web connected computer anywhere in the world with this free web based Email service.

Email confirmation of reading Need to know that the Email message you are going to send has been read? This free service will send you an Email confirming that the recipient has read your message.

Email translation service This American based FREE service will translate your English e-mails into Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Norwegian and Japanese for you. Do read the terms and instructions before you use it.

"How to do it" tutorials from the Learn2 Website. Lots of subjects covered under many sections. "2tutorials" include "how to write a speech" and "how to repair a scratched CD".

Pinpoint the actual UK road (Frequently used link) Travel Manager, from Andes VSP, exploits UK Postcodes to locate and show the actual road, local area or larger area view onscreen. The database is reputed to hold every Postcode, street name, village, town and city in England, Scotland and Wales. Can be used online and a CD is available which will run on 486 PC's and newer computers. To use online, go to "Interactive map", enter the Postcode, select whichever view from the list on the page and then click on "Go". (click here to return to "what's new")

Rail travel UK timetable The timetable page on the Railtrack site to help you plan your journey. Ticket prices are not included.

Route planner The free UK road route planner on the RAC Web Site.

The big (telephone) number change Website Look up details of the UK telephone area code number changes and mobile access number changes that became fully effective on 22 April 2000.

The UK telephone code locator Identify where that call came from with this useful web page on the UK Phone Information web site.

Weather forecasts 5 day weather forecasts from Yahoo for anywhere in the UK.

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