best travel agents halifax

"Our mission is to set a higher standard of personalized service within the travel industry"

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River cruises, concert events.

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Absolute travel specialists.

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Absolute Travel, is an independently owned and operated travel agency with their office located at 3200 Kempt Road in Halifax. Elayne Pink and Fred Mack, merged their over 30 years of travel related experience in September of 2001, to recreate the personal service travel agency of the past. To compliment the agency, in August of 2009 Absolute Travel merged with Concord Travel, a 25-year local independent agency and welcomed Shelley Campbell, a 15 year veteran agent to our staff.

At Absolute Travel, we pride ourselves on our attention to providing above average customer service. And has been voted as the Best Travel Agency in Halifax by the Metro News Community Choice Awards for 2017-2019.

Though you may be able to find less expensive vacations online, at Absolute Travel you will not be alone after you book.

Through developing a strong working relationship with our clients, coupled with our experience and knowledge of various destinations throughout the world, we ensure that we will book the best trip for you specifically. Our specialty is custom tailoring trips to meet the wants and needs of individual travelers. Then we continue to provide our clients personal service until they arrive home.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to set a higher standard of personalized service within the travel industry"

Our Specialties

Various Cruises

Cruising is more popular than ever and there are hundreds of ocean and river cruise choices for all types of personalities, budgets and interests.

Caribbean Resorts

A Perfect & Relaxing Escape to Clear Your Mind, Body and Soul. Best Beach Front Resorts. Experience an unparalleled beach escape at our tailored selections.

Destination Weddings

Have the destination wedding you've always dreamed of. Crystal blue waters, white-sand beaches, and breathtaking views.

Florida Travel

Want to get away! Check out our guides to the best beaches and parks in Florida. Visit the Sunshine State and enjoy unforgettable experiences.

Coach touring allows a guest to visit multiple touristic land highlights in a given area, sometimes combining the best that a country, or several neighbouring countries, has to offer.

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Welcome to AlmonTravel

We’re your personal travel specialists. Click one of the links below to view information regarding each subject.

Some Awards

• Top left – Various awards received from Karisma Resorts
• Bottom left – One of the top agents in Canada for sales to Saint Lucia
• Top right – Award from Karisma Resorts for sales to Mexico

We have successfully helped thousands of clients to arrange and enjoy their travel plans..

Florida Theme Park vacations to rail/coach tours to ocean cruises to river cruises (a particular specialty!) all over the world.

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The best Travel Agents in Halifax

12 results with 2105 reviews from multiple sources

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Halifax Tour Guys

Segway Nova Scotia

Atlantis Limousine Service

Harbour Hopper Tours

Eastwind Cycle

United Travels

Ambassatours Gray Line

Absolute Travel Specialist Limited

Blue Diamond Tours

Paramount Apartments

Skyline Towers Apartments

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Travel agencies in Halifax

• Find in Halifax:
• Travel agencies

In this section you will find a complete list of the 44 travel agencies in Halifax , with all the necessary information so you can choose the one that best suits your needs, so if you are planning a vacation or a business trip and you need expert help, you have come to the right place.

Each travel agency has its own page where you can find their contact information, location and the services they offer. In addition, to help you find a travel agency in Halifax you can read reviews and ratings from other customers who have worked with them, so you can make an informed decision.

44 Travel agencies in Halifax

ATA Travel Inc

United Travels

Absolute Travel Specialist Limited

Maritime Travel

Sunshine Tours

Sue-Anne Tours

See Sight Tours - Halifax Tours

CWT Harvey's Travel

Halifax Tour Guys

Travelportal Travel Inc.

Halifax Harbour Tours

Downtown Travel Halifax

Indulgence Vacations

Corporate Traveller Halifax

Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour

Halifax Titanic Historical Tours

Blue Diamond Tours

Karl Jacques with Trevello Travel Group

Harbour Hopper Tour loading zone

Passport Travel Plus

Expedia Cruises

Award Airline

Grape Escapes Nova Scotia Wine Tours

AlmonTravel

Part time work

Halifax Boat Tours

Strut International Model & Talent Agency

Amaan Tours Inc.

Bruces Tours

Nova Scotia Vacations

Beth MacDonald - TPI Travel

I Heart Bikes - Bike Rentals and City Tours

Starri Travel and Tourism

GO WITH HIPPO TRAVEL & KathyD

Atlantic Cruise Ship Svc

مجموعة الكفلاء الخاصه

City Harbour Cruises

Terroir & Wild Ecotours

Air Canada LLC

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Nova Scotia Tour Companies

List of nova scotia travel companies & tour operators with 103222 reviews.

• Excellent - 74,906 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

It was an excellent trip!

Great trip (our guide, Daniel and driver, Randy were fantastic)!

Insight Vacations

• Excellent - 648 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

This was our 7th trip with Insight and this was a nice paced tour of the Maritimes. The tour director was excellent as well as the coach driver. As long as my wife and I can keep traveling we'll be going with Insight.

Atlantic Tours & Travel

• Excellent - 27 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

Very good tour. Excellent guide (Karen). So knowledgeable and entertaining too. Itinerary had to be tweaked unfortunately, as there was no theatre production in Charlottetown. But a fair substitute was found. All in all a great, stress free way to see this beautiful part of the country.

The wonders of the Bay of Fundy tour was the best tour I’ve ever been on. We were a small group who enjoyed each other’s company and shared many varied and interesting experiences. As a solo traveler I was welcomed by everyone in the group and never felt on my own. Our tour director, Eunice, was welcoming, knowledgeable and went the extra mile to ensure we really experienced the local culture and delicacies. Our coach driver, Hank, who was also welcoming and knowledgeable, had a quietly confident manner which made you feel extremely safe when on the road. He also went the extra mile to ensure we got the most out of every experience. I would highly recommend this tour.

Omega Tours

• Good - 181 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

well organized, comprehensive tour of maritimes with lots of variety

• Excellent - 1,938 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

Fantastic trip. Well organised and friendly, approachable staff. Was so easy to see so much more than we could have organised on our own. Met some lovely people. So much fun! Will definitely do a tour again and highly recommend.

Absolutely fantastic tour guide, dexterous coach driver !!

• Good - 195 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

I had a great experience on this Colette tour with Bernadette and Dave. They were excellent guides and drivers, and the tour was well-organized. I would recommend it.

• Excellent - 5,649 reviews for Nova Scotia tours

Please beware of this tour as many things are not included: Bike tour PEI didn’t happen Walking tour in Moncton and Halifax did not happen on our tour. And lastly please consider this as if I knew this before I would NOT have booked this trip. If you do not do the rafting “ as an optional activity” they literally don’t have anything else for you to do for three hours. Our tour guide went rafting and left the majority of the group behind. The driver was kind enough to drop as off at a mall to occupy our time. I did not pay that much money to sit in mall. I wanted to see the maritimes. Very disappointed in Contiki be

Very safe and well organized

• Excellent - 19,678 reviews for Nova Scotia tours
• This operator has no Nova Scotia reviews

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Halifax, Nova Scotia / Nouvelle-Écosse 274 travel agents near you

Hire the best travel agents in halifax.

Mount Saint Vincent University Conference Services

Travel agent.

Charmaine St. Peters - The Travel Agent Next Door

Caa Atlantic Halifax

Maritime Travel Halifax Shopping Centre

Canadian Ski ﹠ Snowboard Club

Paradise Travel By Kelly Carlton Of Travelonly

Travel Time Limo - Halifax Airport Transfer

Sutton’S Motors

Vacationmd - Michele Davidson

Voyages With Melissa

Homewood Suites By Hilton Halifax-Downtown, Nova Scotia, Canada

Bishoptrips

Joanne Margeson Tpi

Travel Maritimes

Maritime Travel Joe Howe

Shannon At Pure Magic Vacations

Sunset Travel-Travelonly

Atlantic Tours Limited

Atlantic Canada Cycling

Pure Travel | Independent Travel Agent In Halifax, West Yorkshire

Private Dream Estates Limited

Yoga Adventure Healing Surf - Yahs

Sue-Anne Tours

A To Z Travel Group

Captured Escape Rooms

Cruise Holidays With Haley & Brian

Flight Centre Scotia Square

Base Camp Hike

Fraser & Hoyt Incentives

Lifetsyle Condo Vacations

Eastwind Cycle

Flight Centre Summit Place

Reliance Offshore

Travel With Charmaine, Go With Hippo Travel Professional

Momentum It Group, Inc

Warren F K Limited

Mcnabs Island Ferry

Nicole Skidmore - Travel Professional At Go With Hippo Travel

Travel Professionals International

Travel Cuts

Kara Landry- Travel Designer

Deb’S Travel- Ready Set Go

Downtown Travel Halifax

Sunset Holidays Travel

Shambhala Archives

Karlsen Shipping Co Ltd

Passport Travel Ltd

Canadian Sailing Expeditions

Cabana Insight Travel Ltd

Adventure Travel Co

First Choice Travel

Aberdeen Tours

Vintour Motorcycle Travel Writers

Malpeque Bay Kayak Tours Ltd

I Heart Bikes Tours - Bikes And Bites - Waterfront - Halifax, Ns

Atlantic Adventure Divers

Tourism Industry Association Of Nova Scotia

Rhapsody Tours

Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council

Kayak Halifax

Maritime Travel

Sun Holidays

阳光国际旅游-加拿大海洋四省最大华人旅行社

Sears Travel

Fraser & Hoyt Travel

Award Travel

Almon Travel

Cruise Ship Centers

Alliance One Travel Ltd.

The Adventure Travel Company

Halifax International Boat Show

Other travel agents available in halifax.

Ford Credit Canada

貔貅旅游-海洋省旅游专家

Picture Perfect Tours

Halifax Ghost Walk

Travel Last Minute Inc.

Legrow'S Travel Limited

Karl Jacques - Travel Professionals International

Jorgestravel.Com

Carsharehfx

Sea Sun Kayak

Carlson Wagonlit Blenus Travel

Anne Poulos - Small Group Tours

Travel Professionals International Hba Amanda Griffiths

Advantage Travel & Cruise Centres

Cruiseshipcentres

Gnl Adventures

Gray Line Sight Seeing Tours

American Express Travel Agency

What training or studies are needed to work in a travel agency.

Before we delve into the different courses that allow you to work in a travel agency, let's start by highlighting the fact that no diploma is required if you want to open your own agency or work in one. In fact, since 2015, it is no longer mandatory to have a BTS in tourism or a similar degree to create your own travel agency. You can therefore practice without a diploma, however skills and experience remain key elements for success. Let's not fool ourselves, creating this type of company, or even just working in it, is not within reach of those who are not passionate about the subject of travel and foreign cultures, and furthermore, it is never too late to train and learn. If you have no diploma to help you, but you want to change your career to become a travel agent for example, know that it will be possible to train yourself via your "Compte Personnel de Formation" (CPF). Inquire with Pôle Emploi to find out where your account stands and how much you have to train yourself. After having said all this, let's now take a look at the courses that are most often favored before entering the world of work in a travel agency. After high school: 2 years to obtain a BTS in tourism or operational commercial management; 3 years for the BUT (Bachelor Universitaire de Technologie) in commercialization techniques. Specialized schools also offer bachelor's degrees. After a two-year degree: - BTS in operational commercial management - BTS in tourism - Salesperson in business travel and tourism After a three-year degree: - BUT in commercialization techniques - Professional license in tourism professions: commercialization of tourism products - Professional license in tourism and leisure professions After a five-year degree: - Master of Science in Tourism and Destination Management

What is the scope of intervention of a professional?

On a daily basis, the activities of a travel agent are diverse and varied, so much so that the professional will rarely have time to get bored during their days, provided their agency is running properly. These tasks can be very different from one company to another. However, to give you a more precise idea of what to expect when practicing this profession, we will summarize for you all the main functions, as well as the most common, for which a travel agent is responsible: - To start, they must of course be familiar with their agency's tourist offerings in order to inform their customers and be able to illustrate their point with detailed information if necessary. - They must also be able to welcome customers in person or over the phone, with the appropriate tone, voice and warmth. - They must also respond to requests for quotes or information by email, which is an administrative task that takes a lot of time and requires organization and rigor at all times. - They must also select tourism products according to the customer's request, then present their characteristics in a constructive and, if possible, argumentative way (the strengths, the prices). - They must also advise the client on the different products (transportation, services), make the reservation, and then establish the contractual documents necessary for the commercial exchange. - They must also check travel documents in advance so that the traveler does not encounter any unpleasant surprises during their trip. - They must also establish the terms of settlement of a dispute or pass it on to legal or litigation services. - They must also provide information for monitoring activity supports so that the agency can have an overall view of its activity and its evolution over time. - They must organize the display of the sales space, with a certain marketing spirit. - Finally, they must perform sales promotion operations, especially during periods specifically conducive to this.

Why use a professional?

The idea of traveling is often a source of anxiety for those who are preparing for it, as there are many things to consider so that the trip goes smoothly and without any hiccups. In this section, we will specifically discuss the main reasons why you should consider using a travel agency or at least a professional in the sector to organize your trip. Preparing for a trip, even one of just a few days, is not easy. Certainly, a lot of information is available on the internet, but compiling it all to organize your future trip takes a lot of time. First, let's realize that going through a travel agency will allow you to save a lot of time. No need to spend several hours searching for the right flight or finding a hotel to sleep in, finding a rental car, etc. Calling on a professional means giving yourself more time to devote to other things that could also, why not, optimize your trip. Then, entrusting the organization of your trip to a provider means trusting the experience and know-how of a professional who has the required skills to organize a trip that meets your expectations and advise you properly, both in terms of tourism, legal, or even geographical aspects. Calling on a professional, contrary to what one might think, often turns out to be less expensive in the end than organizing everything yourself. Indeed, thanks to their relations with suppliers, the professional is likely to find very good deals for you and offer unbeatable prices, for example for flights, but also for accommodations. It is precisely the addition of all this that will allow you to save money. To conclude this section, we would like to emphasize that for each of us, safety and assurance during the trip are two essential things, regardless of the final destination. Thanks to their total mastery of the travel world, a travel professional will be committed to ensuring your safety throughout your stay. Furthermore, you will benefit from after-sales service and, in the event of an unforeseen circumstance (whether it be a canceled flight, an airline strike, or other), you can obtain assistance simply by contacting your travel agent, who will then take care of finding a solution to your problem.

When should you call a professional?

There isn't really a rule about this, as long as you don't wait until the last minute. Consider that the sooner, the better, so planning a trip to the other side of the world cannot be done overnight. The agent has to find a flight, accommodation options at the destination, and a whole bunch of other services that you might want to take advantage of once you're there. It is therefore better to start planning at least a few weeks or months in advance. This will also allow you to benefit from better prices, which is not insignificant. Note, however, that some agencies specify a maximum anticipation date, meaning that, for example, it will not be possible to book a flight or even a hotel 2 or 3 years in advance... but this is natural and almost goes without saying.

How to find a professional to organize your trip?

No matter where you are or where you want to go, finding this type of service is relatively easy, as long as you don't live in a too remote area. Whether you live in Halifax downtown or in the deepest countryside, start by asking your acquaintances and loved ones, although it must be acknowledged that word-of-mouth is not necessarily the most effective way to find the rare gem (but you never know...). If you live in a very remote area, in the middle of the countryside, not finding a travel agency nearby (within 20 or 30 kilometers) should not stop you or discourage you; be sure that you will find an agency in the nearest medium or large city! In any case, rest assured that the right professional, once contacted, will be more than willing to make your life easier, and if necessary, subsequent exchanges can be done through emails or phone calls. If word-of-mouth yields nothing, which is very possible, then it is recommended to use the internet, by consulting a site like StarOfService, for example, which lists all professionals in a certain field, based on where you're conducting the search. In just a few clicks, the site will provide you with the contact details of the said professional and you can contact them right away, and this also applies to travel agents. From there, you are free to shop around or simply choose the one closest to your home, it is no longer our concern...

How much does a travel agency service cost?

The rates that we are going to indicate here are not contractual, but simply average values ​​obtained throughout the French territory. Each agency has its own way of billing, so we cannot recommend enough that you ask for the details of the services from the relevant agent. Only then can you have a precise idea of ​​what you are paying for. Having said that, let's now move on to the pricing, which, while not to be taken as exact figures, will still give you an idea of ​​the prices practiced on the market. In general, it should be noted that the majority of a travel agency's income comes from commissions paid by the various suppliers involved during the stay; these are percentages that are taken from each sale made. Generally, the agent on average takes between 8% and 10% of the public price for a plane ticket sold; regarding other services, the percentage is between 9 and 15% of the public price. Consulting fees, act and reservation fees are also sources of income for a travel agency, but it is up to each brand to quantify its services. Therefore, you will have to ask the question or inquire when the time comes.

How to choose the right travel agent or agency?

No matter where you are or live, whether in a particular city, region or department, finding this type of professional is relatively simple, based on studies on the subject. So whether you live in the inner city of Halifax or in the depths of the countryside in Moselle or Gironde, we advise you to start by asking around among your acquaintances and friends, as word of mouth is always a good way to find the right address for such things (we all know people who have traveled through a particular agency, so let's start by looking in that direction...). If this first search yields no results, it is then possible to use the Internet, as it is the most common way to purchase travel services, not physical agencies. Once online, no matter which search engine is used, we suggest consulting a site like StarOfService, for example, which lists all professionals in a particular field, depending on the location of the search and where you live. In just a few clicks, the site will provide you with the contact details of the professional and you can contact them within minutes to inquire about their availability, rates, etc. Don't hesitate to consult a large number of customer reviews and comments, as they are essential information for getting an idea of the level of service provided by the agent or agency in question.

Here are some questions to ask a travel professional during your first meeting:

- How long have you been practicing this profession? What training or diploma do you possess to carry out this activity? - What are your rates? Can I have a detailed breakdown of them? - Will you provide me with a proper quote prior to starting the work? - What are your availability to discuss my travel project? - Can you guarantee the respect of deadlines and rates that we agree upon?

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Money blog: Nando's launches a ketchup - so we compared all brands. Which is best value - and which has more water than tomatoes?

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment or your Money Problem/consumer dispute (don't forget to leave a contact number/email) in the box below.

Thursday 11 July 2024 20:08, UK

• Widespread issues with card payments reported - as people turned away from supermarkets
• Nando's launches a ketchup - so we compared all brands. Which is best value - and which has more water than tomatoes?
• Chances of August interest rate cut recede
• Water bills to rise by average 21% over next five years, regulator rules

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• Michelin chef reveals £2 supermarket pasta that can elevate your dinners - as he picks his Cheap Eats in London
• Basically... What are the different ways of paying for a car?
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A new competitor has emerged on the condiment shelf - Nando's ketchup.

It's being advertised as a twist on the traditional sauce, with a touch of "peri-peri magic" for your chips, burgers or bolognese.

This translates into a small amount of spices like cayenne pepper, bird's eye chilli, ginger, garlic, and paprika, as well onion and lemon purees.

We've taken a look at how it stacks up against the other ketchups on Asda's shelves below, with some key takeaways:

• Hellmann's has the most tomatoes and the least calories per serving
• Asda's own brand is by far the most affordable - with a very similar ingredients list to market leader Heinz
• Nando's is, just, the most expensive per 100g, though it's tricky to compare against all the below as some are only available in bigger bottles
• The main ingredient in Leon's, uniquely, is not tomatoes but water
• Leon's has the least sugar per serving

Price per 100g: 94.3p (for normal sized bottle) Main ingredient: Tomato paste (140g tomatoes per 100g) Calories: 17kcal per serving Sugar per 100g: 20g

Price per 100g: 80p (for normal sized bottle) Main ingredient: Tomatoes (148g per 100g) Calories: 15kcal per serving Sugar per 100g: 22.8g

Asda own brand

Price per 100g: 14.9p (only available in jumbo sized bottle) Main ingredient: Tomatoes (148g per 100g) Calories: 15kcal per serving Sugar per 100g: 21g

Price per 100g: 92.2p (normal sized bottle) Main ingredient: Water (with tomato paste second at 25%) Calories: Not available Sugar per 100g: 16.6g

Price per 100g: 29.2p (one up from normal sized bottle) Main ingredient: Tomatoes (117g per 100g) Calories: 17kcal per serving Sugar per 100g: 22g

Price per 100g: 40p (two up from normal sized bottle) Main ingredient: Tomatoes (168g of tomatoes per 100g) Calories: 13kcal per serving Sugar per 100g: 18g

Asda is the first to offer Nando's tomato sauce but it is expected to roll out at Sainsbury's, Tesco and other supermarkets in the coming months.

Virgin and Clyesdale Bank have announced a slight drop in their standard variable rate mortgage rates - in what could be seen as a precursor to a base rate cut in a few weeks' time.

From today, their SVR stands at 9.24% - down from 9.49%.

Barclays and Halifax have also announced they are dropping selected fixed- rate deals from tomorrow - continuing a trend we have seen in recent weeks.

Cowboy builders face a crackdown on trader recommendation websites under new guidelines proposed by the industry watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority says the web pages must tackle fake reviews and vet the tradespeople they advertise after "worrying evidence" emerged.

The regulator has published a first draft of its advice following concerns over websites that fail to sanction rogue traders, offer a complaints process, or monitor traders while making misleading claims about their trustworthiness.

Plusnet customers will from today see their mid-contract price changes expressed as "pounds and pence" rather than percentages in a bid by the internet provider to make information clearer for customers.

Price comparison service Uswitch has praised the move which gives "greater clarity" to consumers.

"The new model provides certainty when it comes to the cost of your contract and makes it easier for customers to manage their finances," the Uswitch telecoms expert Ernest Doku said.

The new model, which applies to new and existing customers who take out contracts after today, will see mid-contract charges at a flat rate for all customers - a yearly increase of £3 per month.

People with coeliac disease are paying up to 35% more for their weekly shop, research has found, with some even eating gluten to avoid paying higher costs despite the potential impact on their health.

A new report by Coeliac UK has found that 77% of people with the disease struggle to afford gluten-free products from supermarkets.

Seven in 10 people said shopping gluten free "adversely affects their quality of life" due to the cost and availability of the food on supermarket shelves and online.

Around 4% are choosing to eat gluten despite the risk to their health because of concerns around the cost of gluten-free food, while 27% would eat products with "may contain" for the same reason.

The research by Coeliac UK revealed that loaves of bread are 4.5 times more expensive on average, while pasta and plain flour are twice as pricey when made gluten free.

If you're thinking of stocking up on Sainsbury's snacks and drinks for Sunday's big game, you'd better do it ahead of time.

Like rival Tesco, the supermarket has announced it is closing convenience stores and petrol stations early across England so staff can tune into the Euros final.

More than a thousand branches will be closing at 7.30pm on Sunday, rather than 10pm or 11pm.

"We want to give our colleagues the chance to tune in live and cheer on England with friends and family. The atmosphere in stores is electric after last night's win," said Clodagh Moriarty, chief retail and technology officer.

Supermarket hours are unaffected as they usually close before the 8pm kick-off. 

Any online grocery orders which have already been booked will be honoured.

All branches will reopen at their usual time on Monday.

Earlier this week, business presenter Ian King answered questions from Money blog readers about what the new Labour government means for their personal finances.

One question related to the two-child cap on child benefit - which Labour have at times suggested they're ideologically opposed to, but won't commit to changing because of the cost.

Responding to a question about whether taxes could be raised for oil and gas companies to pay for scrapping the cap, King said: "The Resolution Foundation has estimated that the two-child benefit cap will save the government £2.5bn during the current financial year - which would rise to £3.6bn if applied to all families claiming universal credit.

"Labour is committed to raising the levy on North Sea oil and gas producers from the current 75% to 78% - and has earmarked the money raised will go towards funding its wider plans for energy and, in particular, decarbonisation.

"It would be ill-advised to raise taxes further. The decisions it has made have already had an impact on investment in the North Sea, as I report here.

"And don't forget, the cap is not just about saving money. It's also about avoiding awkward newspaper headlines and stories about big families being paid a small fortune in benefits of the kind that embarrassed the last Labour government and angered so many of its traditional working-class supporters in particular."

You can read all 21 of King's answers here ...

A "nationwide issue" has been affecting card payments.

Many social media users were reporting being unable to pay for their shopping in supermarkets this morning.

More than 600 people were flagging issues with Visa on Down Detector as of 9.45am, while over 100 had problems with Mastercard payments as of 10am.

A sign in one Sainsbury's store was requesting customers pay for their shopping in cash.

The supermarket said on social media it had been aware of a "nationwide issue" with card payments.

Vanessa Meehan, in Twickenham, said: "I've just been turned away at Sainsbury's as they can't accept card payments. Petrol station also coned off. The car is running on fumes and I need to get supplies."

A Sainsbury's spokesperson told Sky News at 11am that contactless payments had resumed after being "briefly unavailable for a few minutes this morning".

They said this was caused by an issue with its third-party payment provider.

"We're accepting all payments as usual and continue to monitor the situation. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused," the supermarket said.

Asda also confirmed its payment systems were back up and running following temporary issues with Visa.

A Visa spokesperson confirmed to Sky News it had been aware cardholders were experiencing issues when making payments.

"While Visa's systems are operating normally, we are working with our partners to investigate," they added.

Mastercard said it was "aware of some payment transaction issues at select merchants in the UK" and was working to gather more information.

"There is no current indication that these issues are related to our network," a spokesperson said.

The UK's biggest supermarket chain has told customers its Express stores across England will close at 7.30pm instead of the usual 10pm or 11pm on Sunday - after England reached the Euro 2024 final.

It said the decision had been taken to allow its staff to get home or to the pub in time for kick-off at 8pm. 

Employees who do not want to watch the match will be paid as normal, it said. 

Stores will be open as normal the following morning. 

England are playing Spain in the final - and will have the chance to become the first England men's team to win a major tournament since the World Cup in 1966. 

By James Sillars , business reporter 

Faltering expectations for imminent interest rate cuts are playing out in financial markets today.

The pound is at a four-month high versus the dollar at $1.28.

That has been largely put down to remarks by Bank of England rate-setter Huw Pill, the Bank's chief economist, that the timing of the UK's first rate cut was an "open question".

He spoke up just 24 hours after another member of the monetary policy committee ruled out personal support for a reduction on 1 August.

Jonathan Haskel said too many stubborn inflationary pressures remained.

As such, financial markets now see only a 50/50 chance of a rate reduction to 5% from 5.25% at the next Bank meeting.

The chance of a cut had stood at 60% at the start of the week.

The pound has lifted as higher interest rates are generally supportive of a domestic currency.

Elsewhere, the FTSE 100 has opened to a flat calm - up just a couple of points at 8,000.

A big focus for investors this morning was the interim decision by water regulator Ofwat on what suppliers could charge their customers over the next five years.

To give you some idea of the reaction, shares in United Utilities and Severn Trent opened up by around 2%. Those of Pennon, the company behind South West Water, were up by more than 6%.

Water companies in England and Wales have been told they will not be allowed to impose the hikes to bills they have demanded, the industry regulator has said in an interim verdict on their business plans for the next five years.

Ofwat declared that it was minded to slash, by a third, the combined increases that the 16 companies had submitted.

It left the average bill, the watchdog said, set to rise by £19 a year or 21% over the period.

Read our report here ...

Meanwhile, more compensation, possible refunds and new customer panels have been announced as part of the government's "initial steps" towards ending what it describes as the crisis in the water sector.

You can read this story here ...

The appearance of finer weather helped the economy recover some lost ground in May, according to official figures that were better than expected.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded gross domestic product growth of 0.4% in the month, compared with its earlier determination of  zero growth during April .

A poll of economists by Reuters had pointed to a 0.2% increase for monthly gross domestic product in May.

On a quarterly basis, the UK's interest rate-driven recession of the second half of 2023 ended at the start of this year as the  Bank of England  ended its rate hiking cycle which was designed to cool inflation by choking demand in the economy.

Read our full story here ...

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