The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill is set for House of Commons passage this week and is expected to proceed to the House of Lords on Tuesday 9 June. Factsheets have been produced to explain different aspects of the Bill covering:
Overview of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill
Following confirmation of a 14-day quarantine and the requirement to provide information for those arriving in the UK from 8 June with a quarantine exemption, the government has published exemption guidance for specific travellers. Many of the exemptions are highly specific, although some are slightly more general (e.g. exemptions 26 and 37).
King’s Lynn businesses and local people are being asked to have their say in a two-fold consultation that will help to inform investment in the town.
The Vision King’s Lynn Business and Consumer Insight surveys aim to understand the current challenges and concerns for local businesses and the town centre, in light of the impact of Covid-19.
The feedback gained will inform the development of the Town Investment Plan, and more specifically, will help to identify short term investment priorities for the town centre.
The Town Investment Plan is currently being developed and will potentially allow King’s Lynn to access £25m of Town Deal funding that has been allocated by the Government.
The Plan will be the overarching vision and strategy for the town, specifically in relation to regeneration, land use, connectivity, skills, and enterprise.
The insight from both surveys will also be used to inform the wider recovery and renewal of the town in response to Covid-19.
The consultation is being carried out by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk in partnership with the town’s BID, Discover King’s Lynn
Councillor Graham Middleton, Cabinet Member for Business Development and Board Member with Discover King’s Lynn said:
“We know that Covid-19 has brought significant pressures and challenges for our town, especially for local businesses which have had to adapt and respond, and in many cases, cease operations temporarily.
“We are committed to supporting the recovery and renewal of the town and through this consultation, we want to gain an understanding about how people feel – what the concerns are, what the challenges are – for both businesses and consumers.
“The feedback that people give us will help us to inform our Town Investment Plan, and more specifically, short-term interventions and investment that can support businesses and help people to have confidence in the town centre.
“We want to see our town centre thrive and not simply survive. We want it to be a place where businesses can succeed, and where people want to be.”
The Consumer Insight survey seeks to understand how people feel about coming back into the town centre, any concerns they might have, and thoughts around measures that could be taken to increase confidence. The survey also aims to gain knowledge about any changes to how people access shopping and services. Take the Consumer Insights Survey now.
The consultations launched online on 5th June and will run until midnight on Sunday 14th June.
Information about the consultation, including links to both surveys can be found on the newly launched Vision King’s Lynn website www.visionkingslynn.co.uk Vision King’s Lynn is the collective name for the investment, funding, and plans for King’s Lynn and the site provides information about the Town Investment Plan as well as other investment and programmes including the Future High Streets Fund and High Street Heritage Action Zone.
The government has provided local authorities with additional funding to target small businesses with high fixed property related costs, but were not eligible for either the small business grant or the retail, hospitality and leisure grant.
The scheme is discretionary to allow local authorities to use their local knowledge, within the government guidelines, to prioritise who can apply.
As this fund is limited Norwich City will close the scheme to new applications on Tuesday 30 June 2020.
Small business in shared offices or other flexible workspaces e.g. units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment
Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment
Bed & breakfasts which pay council tax instead of business rates: and
Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for small business rates relief.
Any grant award will be limited to one per business.
Other businesses which may apply
Norwich City will use its discretion for assistance to businesses in the cultural, creative and technical sector, if there is sufficient funding remaining once the above priority groups have been addressed
Eligibility
This funding will only be available to businesses that are not eligible for other support schemes including:
The Small Business Grant Fund
The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund
The Fisheries Response Fund
Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme
The Zoos Support Fund
The Dairy Hardship Fund
Businesses that have applied for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme are eligible to apply.
Businesses must have been trading from the premises they are claiming for on 11 March 2020 to be eligible for this scheme.
Companies in administration or are insolvent including where there has been a striking off notice will not be eligible to apply for assistance under this scheme.
A grant will not normally be payable to a subsidiary company that occupies premises if a parent company or another part of the group is liable for payment of the business rates.
Discretion may be applied in exceptional circumstances and where the subsidiary is not primarily financed by the parent company.
State aid
These grants are subject to normal state aid rules as defined in the scheme.
How to apply
You can apply online up to midnight on Tuesday 30 June 2020.
You will need to provide:
the company registration number or charity number
your VAT registration number
your business rate or council tax account number if relevant
your bank account details
details of your most recent hygiene report (if applicable)
You’ll also need to write a statement explaining how your business was affected and attach either:
your income and expenditure accounts
business bank statements from February to May 2020 and the corresponding period in 2019
“The Government must ensure its engagement with business over the coronavirus recovery is not just a “box-ticking exercise.”
That’s the message from Norfolk Chambers of Commerce as business secretary Alok Sharma prepares to launch five new business-focused groups as part of the plans to kickstart the economy.
The future of industry: How to accelerate business innovation and leverage private sector investment in research and development
Green recovery: How to capture economic growth opportunities from the shift to net zero carbon emissions
Backing new businesses: How to make the UK the best place in the world to start and scale a business
Increasing opportunity: How to level up economic performance across the UK, including through skills and apprenticeships
The UK open for business: How to win and retain more high value investment for the UK
The groups will form part of the Government’s plans for restarting the economy, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly set to unveil them with a major speech next month.
Mr Sharma will this week chair the first meetings of new ‘recovery roundtables’, bringing together businesses, business representative groups and leading academics.
Norfolk Chambers is also encouraging our members to let us know about the measures that would best support them to restart, recover and grow.
Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy for Norfolk Chambers said: “It is critical that the Government works in genuine partnership with businesses in order to support a return to economic growth.
“Engagement cannot be a tick box exercise. We welcome the announcement of these new groups and look forward to learning more about their composition, remit and measures that are taken forwards from them in due course.
“There is no denying the significant impact that this pandemic has had on the Norfolk business community. What this period of disruption and change does give us is an opportunity to do things differently and radically rethink the way in which the Government engages with and enables good business growth in the UK.
“We will continue to deliver a strong Norfolk business voice for our members both locally and nationally through the British Chambers of Commerce, who will be actively involved in these groups. Please send all feedback to [email protected]
Commenting on the report ‘Cutting Red Tape in Europe – Legacy and Outlook’ published today by the European Commission’s High Level Group on Administrative Burdens, chaired by Dr Edmund Stoiber, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“The sentiment of this report is in the right place; it tells us that the EU has listened to businesses’ concerns about the impact of burdensome regulations on competitiveness and economic growth. However, it remains to be seen just how far and how fast the EU will go in implementing these proposals.
“While this is often down to Whitehall over-interpreting EU law, there is no doubt that something had to be done at the Commission level to address business concerns. Impact assessments and better engagement with businesses will help to prevent unnecessary regulations in the first place, and make it simpler for businesses to implement those regulations that are important. This is all contingent, of course, on proper business and economic cost impact assessments being carried out.
It is also incumbent on governments to pay more attention to the actions of their MEP’s; too often burdensome legislation from Europe has been proposed or supported by UK MEP’s of all parties.
“However, reform shouldn’t stop with small and medium businesses – we want to see improvements for businesses of all sizes. This is essential if we are to see a vibrant and growing economy in Europe. The next step is for the EU to deliver on the single market for both goods and services, so that it works better for business. This should be a major objective of any future negotiation on reform of the EU.”
On 18 September Norfolk Businesses joined us at John Lewis for a relaxed evening of networking with an interactive technology element.
Delegates heard from Richard Marks Head of Branch at John Lewis on how the recent innovations in technology have helped them to develop as a company and constantly look at how they are working.
It was then onto the main part of the event; Sony were the first to stand up and they talked about the recent developments in technology, in particular there new Sony Z2 tablet which can survive under water up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes and the attendees got to have a go with some of their latest innovations.
Google then talked to the delegates about how their Google Apps can be used across your company and customised specifically to each businesses needs. Delegates had the opportunity to edit one document all at the same time using one of Google most recent tablets.
The event finished with a prize draw with some great gifts, including a brand new Sony Z2 tablet. There was a great buzz with delegates getting to try out our sponor, customised’s lighting display and tweeting throughout. See some of the tweets below
To view more photo’s from this event visit ourFacebookorGoogle+page.
Our next After Hours event is our Super Bowl Challenge on 29 January at Hollywood Bowl. To book your place or for more detailsclick here.
A database for sharing offers of PPE and return to work equipment has been launched by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership to support the reopening of businesses
A simplified directory was set up in March and this has played a key role in the supply of PPE to frontline workers in the health and social care sector. On the back of that success, and thanks to the production and supply of equipment by local companies, the LEP has now expanded the service.
More than 1,200 products – from face masks, visors and aprons to sanitiser and other return to work equipment – have already been listed by around 250 suppliers, many of which are based in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Entrepreneurial businesses across the region began producing PPE as a way of continuing to operate and pay their staff during the pandemic, while at the same time helping to meet the desperate demand.
Organisations based in Norfolk and Suffolk can log in here to access the database after a short verification process.
Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said:
“Whether you are a small business needing a small batch of masks or a care provider requiring a large amount of stock, you can log in to this digital database and find the PPE you need,” he said.
“Helping businesses to protect their employees and their customers as they return to work is going to be key to the recovery effort and having all these products in one place will support them in this important phase.
“It is also a way of the LEP rewarding the local businesses which have manufactured these desperately needed items during this emergency and helped slow the spread of Coronavirus.”
Requests to view the database are moderated and granted on a case by case basis. For businesses sharing offers of products or services, the LEP will be requesting Companies House information, as well as details about stock and production capacity, and how products conform to required standards.
The UK government and HM Treasury have announced that people on paternity and maternity leave who return to work in the coming months will be eligible for the furlough scheme, despite the 10 June cut-off date.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been extended until October, with new flexibilities being introduced by the government from 01 July to support the economy by allowing furloughed employees to return to work part-time. Find out more here.
The Department of Work and Pensions have launched a new campaign around Universal Credit and COVID-19.
A new website has been launched to provide clear, factual information on employment and benefits support with advice on housing, furlough, sick pay and self-employment, alongside advice and FAQs for employers, those already claiming and those making a new claim.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact upon the lives and livelihoods of people across East of England, this new website will be a vital resource for thousands who need concise, accurate information on the support available to them and their family.
DWP have provided a suite of social media assets with approved messaging which you can download here. This link will expire after 7 days.
The new campaign content is simple and informative, with an emphasis on ensuring that all new and existing Universal Credit claimants are kept fully up to date with how to access the support available.
On Friday 3 October over 40 Norfolk Chamber Members attended our business breakfast to get the unique opportunity to ask their local MP, Henry Bellingham, MP for North West Norfolk, questions on the future in their local area.
The breakfast took place in the Ballroom at Dukes Head Hotel with our host for the morning, Heather Garrod, President of the West Norfolk Chamber Council taking the delegates through the agenda.
Members heard from sponsor, The Skills Service, on the work they have been doing to get better training for young people and how businesses can help. To follow this Norfolk Chamber’s Nova Fairbank highlighted to the delegates our Business Plan for Norfolk following feedback from the membership on what they wanted to see. There is still a chance to have your say on this in our online consultation.
Breakfast and a chance to discuss what more needed to be done followed this as delegates had their chance to voice their opinion. After breakfast, Henry Bellingham gave the delegates the larger picture of what is to come for businesses.
A Q&A session then took place with various questions from delegates to better understand the opportunities and plans for the coming year.
To view photos of the event, visit our Facebook page or Google+ page
The British Chambers of Commerce is delighted to be a ‘Supporting Organisation‘ of the China-Britain Business Council UK-China Business Week 2020, which will take place online from 15th – 19th June.
Our colleagues in China, the collective British Chambers of Commerce in China are a key partner for the event and will be presenting their British Business in China: Position Paper 2020 on the first day.
Designed to shine a spotlight on China’s economic recovery and call attention to opportunities for UK businesses of all sizes and sectors to re-engage with China, the event programme will highlight the importance of why now more than ever, China remains a vital business proposition for the UK. Each day will have a specific theme to guide you and your business. The interactive sessions will be held over five consecutive days and will focus on current trends in the following sectors: Retail & Consumer, Education, Tech & Innovation, SMEs and FDI from China to the UK.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to hear from thought leaders sharing cutting edge insights into bilateral trade and key members of the UK-China business community sharing macro perspectives and practical advice on doing business in China.
The full programme is available here(subject to change) and all British Chambers of Commerce members across the UK are invited to register for free.
