Chamber News

The Barton Mills to Thetford stretch of the A11 dualling was finally opened today. Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin performed the opening ceremony, which was attended by business leaders from Norfolk and Suffolk, together with local MPs.

Campaigning for the dualling of the A11 started 30 years ago in 1984 and today the hard work by both Norfolk & Suffolk Chambers, the business community and the local authorities and MPs paid off with the opening of the newly dualled section ahead of time and ahead of budget.

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce:

“The Norfolk Chamber network is known for its tenacious nature and today we see the result of many years of lobbying. The A11 dual carriageway is not just a road but a symbol that Norfolk is very much open for business. £600 million is the figure estimated to be delivered in economic benefits due to the improved connectivity which the A11 will bring. All sectors across Norfolk will benefit enabling new jobs, housing and business investment. This is a great day for Norfolk but is very much the beginning of a new chapter rather than the end”

Also commenting on the opening of the A11, Ian Hacon, Founder, Yellowbrick Road Solutions Ltd said: “The completion of the dual carriage between Norwich and Cambridge represented a major milestone in the previously neglected Norfolk Infrastructure. The reduction in journey times to both Cambridge and London and will be major economic driver for the whole country, in particular along the A11 corridor in places like Thetford. For us as a new start business in the east of the county with Cambridge and London as key markets for our services, this improvement will make access to these markets much easier, cheaper and journey times more certain.”

Whilst the A11 was a much needed improvement, Phil Harris, Managing Director, Norcom Technology Ltd commented that there was still more work to be done. He said: “With the opening of the A11, Norfolk will no longer be seen as a ‘sleepy back water’ which is difficult to get to. It clearly sends out a message that Norfolk is open for business. Improvements to Norfolk infrastructure should not stop here. A reliable and upgraded rail improvements is still badly needed, road improvement from Great Yarmouth are vital with the expansion of the offshore renewable sector and all areas in Norfolk need superfast broadband to be part of the digital age.”

Jonathan Cage, Managing Director, Create Consulting Engineers Ltd highlighted the opportunities that Norfolk businesses need to take advantage of. “Norfolk today finally gets taken off the life support system, with its main artery being connected to the rest of the transport network, the business community now needs to get into urgent training to make the most of this significant upgrade in our health and wellbeing, ensuring that we not only win future sprints, but also compete both nationally and internationally on the marathon circuit.”

On a blustery winters morning over 90 delegates joined us for a morning of festive fun and a delicious breakfast at Sprowston Manor on 11 December.

The morning was started off by our featured Charity and host for the breakfast Carol Plunkett, East Anglian’s Children’s Hospice talked a little bit about all the hard work they do and their new hospice The Nook, which is being built in Poringland, Norwich.

Carol then took the delegates through a packed morning full of activities to get them talking and making new connections. The first was ‘Christmas Anagrams’ which really got the delegates brains thinking with 62 Christmas words that had been jumbled up which they had to decipher. This was followed by a delicious breakfast and more networking around the tables as they eagerly anticipated the winner of the activity.

The networking didn’t stop at breakfast either as they then went straight into a ‘Christmas Movie Quiz.’ We then had Safari Networking to give delegates a whole new table to tackle the next challenge of ‘Christmas Song Scramble’ where they had to work out 10 Christmas songs from jumbled up lyrics.

It was a perfect way to close 2014 with fun, relaxed informal networking and some Christmas songs.

Our next breakfast in Norwich is on Friday 27 February. Join us for a morning of business networking over a delicious breakfast and hear from new Chief Executive Jeff Henry on the ever changing world of media. For more details or to book your place, please click here.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has downgraded its UK GDP growth forecast for 2014 from 3.2% to 3.0% in 2014, but this figure still represents the fastest growth experienced by the British economy since 2007. The BCC has also revised down its growth forecasts for the following two years from 2.8% to 2.6% in 2015 and from 2.5% to 2.4% in 2016. This is largely due to slower than expected growth in services, household consumption and exports and weaker than expected GDP growth in Q3 2014

BCC Director General, John Longworth, says that while we welcome the strong 2014 growth indicated by the forecast, he believes the downgraded forecast is an ominous warning sign and urges the government to waste no time in addressing key areas that are holding back good firms, such as access to capital to grow their business.

ECONOMIC FORECAST – OVERVIEW

• The BCC is lowering its UK GDP growth forecast from 3.2% to 3.0% in 2014, from 2.8% to 2.6% in 2015, and from 2.5% to 2.4% in 2016.
• The downgrades are mainly due to lower than expected growth in services, household consumption and exports.
• A slightly lower starting point of the new forecast, due to weaker actual GDP growth in Q3 2014 than previously predicted, also contributed to the downward revision.
• Quarterly GDP growth is expected to remain at 0.7% in Q4 2014, followed by a slowdown to 0.6% per quarter from Q1 2015 onwards
• Though household consumption and services output are forecast to grow more slowly than predicted in Q3, they will be the main contributors to GDP growth in the next few years.
• Strong business investment is predicted with growth of 7.5% in 2014, 7.5% in 2015 and 7.4% in 2016.
• UK interest rates are expected to rise to 0.75% in Q3 2015, two quarters later than in the Q3 forecast.

Commenting, Caroline Williams, CEO of Norfolk Chamber said:

“Despite the slightly lower growth prediction, Norfolk businesses continue to strive to deliver economic growth to our region. The latest Norwich Economic Barometer highlighted that East Anglia’s fastest growing medium-sized businesses have combined sales of £3.9bn, which helps underscore their value to the local economy. Falling unemployment rates, the recent news regadign investment in the A47, the Eastern Mainline and the opening of the A11 will help boost the confidence of the Norfolk business community.

Commenting, John Longworth, Director General of the BCC said:

“Although this updated forecast slightly lowers our growth predictions, it also confirms that Britain will be one of the fastest-growing developed economies as we close out 2014. This is a great achievement, and businesses up and down the country should be congratulated for their hard work and resolve to drive the recovery in the face challenges and uncertainty both at home and abroad.

“However, there is no reason why a 3% growth rate should be the height of our ambitions. Downgrades to our growth forecast are a warning sign that we still face a number of hurdles to securing a balanced and sustainable recovery. A number of headwinds from the global economy are also having a real impact on British businesses. The eurozone is weak, with a real risk of deflation, growth in emerging markets has slowed and political uncertainty in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere is affecting business and consumer confidence. Uncertainty in the economy generally affects consumer confidence as does the spending and debt cycle.

“Our dependence on consumer spending and mortgages means that the UK economy is particularly sensitive to interest rates. Any short-term rate rises could present a huge risk to our economy. With UK exports broadly flat, it is crucial to reassess the UK’s overall export growth strategy and the support available to existing and potential exporters.

“Nonetheless it is encouraging to see that British businesses aren’t backing down from their expansion and investment plans, despite the uncertain economic backdrop. We must continue to support these businesses as they invest, grow, innovate and export. A sustainable, well-balanced economy can only be achieved if there is commitment from all political parties to long-term strategic planning, rather than the political short-termism that has plagued British growth prospects for too long.”

David Kern, Chief Economist at the BCC, said:

“Our GDP forecasts are slightly lower than in Q3, but overall the prospects are still positive. Although we expect a slowdown in the pace of expansion, UK growth in the foreseeable future will be stronger than in the eurozone, including in Germany and France. British business investment has recovered in recent years and we expect steady increases in the share of investment in GDP. But there are still some areas of concern – UK trade deficit continues to grow and the current account deficit is dangerously large.

“In the short term, the main concern for the UK is a continuation of the slowdown in recent months. A deceleration in growth may be unavoidable, given the weaker trends in the global economy, particularly in the eurozone. However, it is important to counter the impact of these downward pressures by maintaining low interest rates and pro-business policies, in order to minimise the risk of the recovery stalling. In the longer term the key structural risks facing the UK are persistent low productivity and the twin fiscal and trade deficits. Unless these issues are addressed resolutely, they could undermine Britain’s future credibility.

“Despite stronger than expected economic growth, the UK’s ability to generate tax revenues has deteriorated – due to weak earnings, the decline in oil and gas output, as well as big profit reductions from financial institutions. The UK must now persevere with the difficult job of cutting the deficit, while focusing on policies that support higher productivity.”

OTHER ELEMENTS FROM WITHIN THE FORECAST

Main components of demand

• Growth in household consumption is forecast to strengthen initially to 2.2% in 2014, and to 2.4% in 2015; it will then slow markedly to 1.9% in 2016. These new forecasts are lower than in Q3.
• The new forecast predicts continued strong positive growth in UK business investment – 7.5% in 2014, 7.5% in 2015 and 7.4% in 2016.
• The real net trade deficit will fall from 2.2% of GDP in 2013 to 1.8% in 2016, while the net deficit in current prices will fall from 1.9% of GDP in 2013 to 1.2% in 2016. As in recent years, future improvements in total net trade will be largely due to a higher trade surplus in services.

Main sectors of the economy

• The services sector is forecast to record growth of 3.2% in 2014, 2.9% in 2015, and 2.7% in 2016, slightly lower than predicted in the Q3 forecast. The share of services in total UK output is likely to rise further in the coming years.
• Total industrial output is predicted to record growth of 2.3% in 2014, 1.5% in 2015 and 1.6% in 2016.
• Manufacturing output: The new forecast predicts positive manufacturing growth of 3.5% in 2014, 1.8% in 2015 and 1.8% in 2016.
• Construction output: In full-year terms, we predict construction output growth of 4.9% in 2014, 1.9% in 2015 and 1.6% in 2016.

Official interest rates

• The first increase in UK official interest rates, to 0.75%, is forecast to occur in Q3 2015, two quarters later than we previously predicted.
• Further modest increases in official rates can then be expected, in small 0.25 percentage point steps, with official interest rates reaching 1.00% in Q4 2015 and 1.75% in Q4 2016.

Unemployment and productivity

• The new forecast predicts that the UK unemployment rate will fall from 6.0% in Q3 2014 to 5.6% in Q3 2015, 5.2% in Q3 2016 and to 5.0% in Q3 2017. These jobless rates are slightly higher than those we predicted in our Q3 forecast.
• UK jobless total is expected to fall from 1.959 million in Q3 2014, to 1.839 million in Q3 2015, 1.749 million in Q3 2016, and to 1.669 million in Q3 2017, a net overall fall in total unemployment of 290,000 over the next 3 years.
• Total youth unemployment (people aged 16 to 24) is predicted to fall from 737,000 (a jobless rate of 16.2%) in Q3 2014, to 533,000 (a jobless rate of 11.9%) in Q3 2017, a net fall of 204,000.
• UK productivity is now considerably lower than before the financial crisis. The forecast envisages that productivity will remain weak in the next few years, increasing at a pace that is slower than before the financial crisis.

Public finances

• UK public finances: The OBR forecast, outlined in the December 2014 Autumn Statement, acknowledges that cutting the fiscal deficit will be more difficult and take longer than previously estimated.
• While the OBR is forecasting that UK public sector net borrowing would move into a small surplus in 2018/19, the forecast shows that achieving this aim would take 1-2 years longer.

Inflation

• In annual average terms, annual CPI inflation is forecast for 1.5% in 2014, 1.2% in 2015 and 1.8% in 2016.

Small business leaders are more likely to seek business advice from family and friends than they are to ask for help from a professional, according to a new survey.

The research carried out for Growth Vouchers – a Government programme that helps businesses towards the cost of professional advice in areas including finance and cash flow, management skills and sales & marketing – found that 81% of decision makers in the East of England have approached someone in their personal life for help, compared to 57% who have taken advice from a professional.

This is despite 37% of business leaders in the East of England saying they are most likely to trust guidance from a professional above other sources of advice.

Furthermore, 19% of small business leaders said they would gain from some form of professional advice, with sales and marketing reported as the area that most businesses think they would benefit from support in (35%). This is closely followed by making the most of digital technology, which 27% of business leaders said they would benefit from advice on.

Expense was highlighted as the most common reason why people do not seek professional business advice. Of the small business decision makers surveyed, 56% of those who have taken advice from friends and family said they did so because it was free; and 25% that haven’t taken professional advice felt that it is too expensive.

Other barriers to accessing professional advice were not having the time (reported by 21% of respondents) and not knowing how to access advice (reported by 11% of respondents)

Business Minister Matthew Hancock said: “Expert business advice is incredibly important for many of the UK’s smaller firms and helps make sure they reach their potential. We know professional advice can be costly and that there is a lot of choice out there, so we are simplifying the Government’s businesses support schemes to make it easier to find and access the right support at the right time. This is all part of our plan to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.”

Shirley Gabriel, Growth Vouchers Adviser, Siz Marketing commented: “It’s great that our small businesses are talking about growth and development. They are a vital part of the East’s economy and, as they grow, they create jobs and benefit the community.

“I realise that small firms are unlikely to have huge budgets for professional business advice, but the Government’s Growth Voucher programme can help them bridge this gap and access the wide range of strategic support available. I’d urge all business owners in the East of England to consider applying for a Growth Voucher to help them take their business to the next level.”

Small businesses must be based in England and employ fewer than 250 staff in order to be eligible for a Growth Voucher worth up to £2,000 to cover half the cost of professional advice.

For more information on Growth Vouchers and how to apply, visit https://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/growthvouchers/

Commenting on the announcement of a new Careers and Enterprise Company by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber, said:

“The gulf between the world of education and the world of work has never been wider, with far too many Norfolk firms saying that young people are unprepared for work due to inadequate careers advice.

“Nicky Morgan is absolutely right to be focusing the government’s attention – and real financial resources – on the critical transition from school to the workplace.

“However, business does not want to revert back to the old, tired form of careers advice in schools that served our young people so poorly for decades. The government’s Careers and Enterprise Company needs to focus on getting businesses into the heart of our schools, so that young people can make informed choices as they enter the world of work. Its investments should seek to ensure that all schools, not just a self-selected few, work hand-in-hand with local firms to inspire and inform young people about their career options.

“As a Chambers of Commerce we already play a pivotal role linking businesses with schools. The gap between education and business is wide, but we are committed to bringing them together – so that young people can aspire to great careers, and so that Norfolk firms can get the local talent they so desperately need.”

• Manufacturing output in October 2014 was down 0.7% on the month, but up 1.7% on the year
• Total industrial production in October 2014 was down 0.1%, but up 1.1% up on year

Commenting on the manufacturing and industrial figures published today by the ONS, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:

“The decline in manufacturing output is disappointing and larger than expected. Although longer term comparisons still show positive growth, the pace of expansion is clearly slowing. Manufacturing exporters in particular are facing difficult challenges, which have become more acute due to stagnation in the eurozone.

“While total UK GDP is now well above its pre-recession level, these latest figures show that industrial production output nationally has not yet recovered fully.

“Despite manufacturing accounting only for just over 10% of total UK output, the sector remains an important driver for economic growth, and is critical to securing a balanced UK recovery. In spite of the challenging international backdrop we are making every effort to ensure that enterprising manufacturing firms are given the tools to invest and export.

Today Norfolk Chamber are holding an event on how to ‘Expand into Hong Kong’ which is a major trading and financial hub in Asia. On 20th January we have a similar event concentrating on Nigeria which as of 2012 is the second largest market within Africa. There is significant support available to any Norfolk company who either wants to investigate exporting for the first time or would like to look at new overseas markets. A wealth of information aimed at exporters can be found on our intenational trade section.

Commenting on a new report titled ‘Avoiding the same old mistakes: Lessons for reform of 14-19 education in England’ published today by the IPPR, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The IPPR is right to call for greater employer engagement in education and for an improved vocational education and training system. This will help to ensure that young people are given the right technical and soft skills to secure a job and work their way up the ladder.

“The Chamber Network, which has both schools and further education colleges in our membership, is already playing a crucial role strengthening local connections to build sustainable relationships between education and business.

“The recent British Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Survey 2014 ,which included many Norfolk members, found that many firms think young people are unprepared for work, with 76% citing lack of work experience as a key reason. However, more than half of businesses (52%) say they don’t offer work experience placements. I have never come across a business who is not passionate about helping Norfolk young people but there needs to be simple solutions in order for them to get started. N4J in which the Norfolk Chamber members have played a role, has already had a significant impact on youth unemployment but every young person not in work is a loss on a personal and economic level.

“In the BCC Business Manifesto 2014/15 a number of measures have been proposed to better prepare young people for work and to encourage companies to play a greater role in preparing the next generation of workers. In practice, this means introducing business governance into schools, proper careers advice with direct links to business, and measuring the success of schools and colleges based on the employment outcomes of pupils.

At the BCC Chambers CEO Round table last week in Harrogate we all agreed to share best practise on work we were doing in our local areas to support young people, under the Young Chamber brand, to enable the Chamber Network to really have an impact at a local level which is a very exciting new development”

Commenting on the Chancellor’s announcement in the Autumn Statement that employers’ National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 will be scrapped, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:

“Abolishing employers’ National Insurance for young apprentices will encourage many businesses to hire them, by reducing the costs of employment and additional training. Our research shows that 54% of firms say funding for training and support would encourage them to hire more young people, which is why we have called for increased financial support for employers hiring apprentices.”

Caroline also called for the government to consider introducing a taper to smooth the transistion for those employers who keep young people on beyond their apprenticeship, at which point the full National Insurance contributions would kick in.

The Broads was given the status of a national park in 1989, but for technical legal reasons has its own legislation rather than the 1949 Act which established national parks. The Broads Authority have now been given advice that the similarity between the Broads and the other 14 national parks in the UK is so great that it is now appropriate and legal for the Broads Authority to use the term ‘Broads National Park’ when promoting the area.

Attached a copy of the consultation document which asks three questions:

1. How do you feel about a more consistent use of the term the Broads National Park as a brand?
2. In what ways would you envisage your organisation using the term the Broads National Park?
3. Are there any specific actions the Broads Authority could take to support and help your organisation in using the Broads National Park brand?

There is an opportunity for the Norfolk business community in the bigger process of changing the perceptions of Norfolk and Suffolk to make the wider public more aware of how special the Broads really is. ‘National Park’ is an internationally recognised brand which we should capitalise on. So it would be great when arriving at Norwich railway station or the Norwich International Airport to have the sort of welcome to the Broads National Park, that East Midlands Airport has for the Peak District National Park.

What do you think? The Broads Authority need to hear from you on the above questions by Wednesday 31 December 2014.

Please return your responses and any comments to:

Chief Executive Broads Authority Yare House 62 – 64 Thorpe Road Norwich NR1 1RY

Commenting on the Autumn Statement, delivered today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:

“Norfolk has already had positive news concerning the A47 and the Norwich in 90 campaign. When we met the Prime Minister this week we also identified the missing elements relating to our infrastructure which we will be looking for any future Government to address.

The Chancellor has used the last Autumn Statement to demonstrate that he is listening to and supporting British businesses across the country. By focusing on key business priorities, such as Britain’s broken business rates system and the difficulty of accessing finance for growth, the Chancellor has demonstrated that he is committed to solving problems that hinder the growth aspirations of many Norfolk firms.

“Businesses will be pleased that the Chancellor has committed the government to a fundamental review of business rates. This iniquitous tax is sapping good companies’ strength year after year, long before they make a single penny in profits. The review must deliver fundamental change to the business rates system. Tinkering at the edges is simply not acceptable when good companies have to scale back their growth ambitions because of out of control rates bills.

“The government has listened to our calls to improve conditions for business growth. However, the government must ensure that the positive proposals announced in the Autumn Statement do not get bogged down by short-term political thinking, Whitehall bureaucracy and trickle in the banking sector. We will be watching to ensure that the promises made become a reality.”

Commenting on the latest forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, published today in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

“The new forecast confirms our view that the UK economy will grow at a good pace this year. The 3.0% growth forecast for this year is realistic, but the speed with which the economy slows in the OBR forecast is disappointing. While some slowdown may be unavoidable in the face of global headwinds, particularly the eurozone, the UK should still be able to perform well in the next few years, as long as the right policies are pursued.

“On the public finances the OBR rightly acknowledged that the shortfall in the economy’s ability to generate tax receipts is not a temporary problem, but one that is likely to persist over the medium term. We support the Chancellor’s decision to tighten spending further, but not at the cost of business growth.”

ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON SPECIFIC MEASURES ANNOUNCED IN THE AUTUMN STATEMENT

ON BUSINESS RATES:

“Businesses will be encouraged by the government’s continued efforts to curb business rate increases. Firms will also be pleased to hear the Chancellor announce a review into the future structure of Britain’s business rates system. This iniquitous tax is the highest in Europe and a drag anchor on investment and growth.

“However, unlike previous attempts this review must deliver fundamental change to the business rates system. As called for in our Business Manifesto, businesses will not tolerate anything less than a full root and branch review. We look forward to working closely with the government to help reform Britain’s broken business rates system.”

ON ACCESS TO FINANCE:

“For too long young, high-growth firms and business that have a need for working capital have been frozen out of access to finance. The extension of the Funding for Lending scheme and Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme shows that the Chancellor is listening to businesses continued frustration with tight credit conditions. Still, much will depend on lenders’ appetite for risk. The success of this announcement will be measured by whether credit is flowing to small and medium-sized businesses.

“More must also be done to increase access to bond and equity markets for businesses of different sizes. We welcome additional funding to the business bank’s venture capital programme, but this must not result in entrepreneur involuntarily losing control of their businesses before they are able to grow to become mid-sized and should not be the only source of long term, patient capital.”

ON COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER REFORM:

“The existing approach to delivering infrastructure for the UK is unlikely to ensure that we meet the challenges in the years ahead – this has not been helped by the current compulsory purchase procedure.

“In our Autumn Statement submission we called on the Chancellor to increase compensation for people subject to compulsory purchase orders to make the system fairer and speed up the delivery of projects that help strengthen the economy.

“The government’s earlier announcement that the compensation scheme for compulsory purchases will be reviewed is welcome, but we await the full details.”

ON EXPORTS:

“It is encouraging to see the Chancellor announce much needed support for UK exporters. British firms need all the help they can get when looking to trade overseas and the announcement today will boost business confidence and help more companies break into new and emerging markets.

“While more still needs to be done, this announcement is reassurance from the government of the importance of driving export growth and rebalancing the economy over the months and years ahead. It is remains to be seen whether investing more in existing programmes will produce an increase in exports. “

ON APPRENTICESHIPS:

“Abolishing employer’s National Insurance for young apprentices will encourage many businesses to hire them, by reducing the costs of employment and additional training. Our research shows that 54% of firms say funding for training and support would encourage them to hire more young people, which is why we have called for increased financial support for employers hiring apprentices.

“However, some consideration must be made for companies who keep young people on beyond their apprenticeship, at which point full National Insurance Contributions would kick in. The government should consider introducing a taper to smooth this transition.”

ON AIR PASSENGER DUTY:

“While the government has taken steps to reform air passenger duty, they need to go much further to ensure that businesses are not put at a disadvantage when conducting business abroad. By establishing the true impact of air passenger duty on the economy, we will be able to determine if this tax should be significantly reduced or abolished.”

On the back of the news that Norfolk is to receive funding to start improvements to the A47, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber hosted a Chamber business leaders gathering with the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

The meeting gave Norfolk Chamber members the opportunity to explain the importance, not just on this being the first stage to the development of the A47 and the need for the dualling of the Acle Straight, but also the importance of improved mobile and broadband speeds. Other topics discussed were the A140, NDR, improved rail, membership of Europe and how infrastructure investment in Norfolk will support our young people.

The Prime Minister was left in no doubt that the business community were the ‘power house’ of the region and were willing to develop their businesses and create new jobs, provided they were given the tools to do so, which included improved infrastructure.

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said “It was great to have a robust and lively debate directly with the Prime Minister about the needs and wants of the Norfolk business community. The news today on the A47 is very welcome and a cause the Chamber network had been lobbying for over many years. This is just the beginning though, as we need a start date and discussions as to when other parts of the A47 will be dualled, especially the Acle Straight. We are now looking for good news relating to our lobbying with partners for a better rail service from the Chancellor later this week.”

On Friday 28 Novemberover 150 delegates joined the Norfolk Chamber for a morning of networking, a delicious breakfast and the chance to hear directly from a senior minister, whose name could only be released one week before the event due to security reason.

At the event the guest of honour Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills addressed local businesses and spoke on the Government’s industrial strategy and how it relates to Norfolk.

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber welcomed Vince Cable to the breakfast that provoked a round of applause from the whole room. Delegates enjoyed a full English breakfast while networking with like minded individuals on their table.

Ian Hacon, President of Norfolk Chamber stood up after breakfast and gave an insight into Norfolk giving a presentation on ‘the good, the bad and the still ugly’ in the region and what improvements still need to be made to help local business prosper.

Andrew Sinclair, Political Correspondent for BBC East introduced Vince Cable MP to speak on the industrial strategy, with the audience able quiz the minister in the Q&A Session.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Industrial Strategy is about government working in partnership with businesses to give them the confidence to invest. Together we are delivering the skills, infrastructure and research funding we need to create long-term prosperity. East Anglia has much to offer as a centre of manufacturing, agriculture and clean energy, and the Government wants to support the local companies that are creating jobs and driving growth.”

The event was a great success and we hope to bring you another senior minister to the region again soon.

Here is what some delegates thought:

Some photos from the day

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