Chamber News

That’s the question Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is asking. Always committed to stimulating debate the Chamber is asking you if the Norfolk brand is a help or a hindrance when it comes to marketing.

Famously, Aviva scrapped its 200 year old trading name of Norwich Union with the objective of growing the brand, and helping it to compete on a global scale. The strategy was that ‘Aviva’ would appeal to an international market more than Norwich Union.

By the same token, Bernard Matthews have proudly trumpeted Norfolk as the very essence of a successful brand. Being branded ‘Colman’s of Norwich’ has kept people as keen as mustard in that international organisation’s products. But then, whilst Start-Rite have not put a foot wrong in their marketing, they’ve never added Norfolk to the branding.

Now comes the exciting news that Hoseasons have commissioned a £1 million TV advertising campaign to promote their 28,000 places to stay across the UK & Europe, and it features entirely Norfolk scenes.

Simon Altham, Managing Director of Hoseasons describes the commercial as a “marvellous showcase for Norfolk’s tourism offering”.

Hear his views on how the Norfolk brand has given Hoseasons a competitive advantage at the Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast.

Caroline Williams, Chief executive of the Norfolk Chamber said “Businesses need to understand that using the ‘Norfolk brand’ can enhance their offer. It’s a point of difference, and separates them from the generic nationals. It can make their offering entirely unique. We’ve put Norfolk at the heart of what we do. We’re the Norfolk Chamber and proud of it!” Join the debate.

Join us at – Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast. ‘Norfolk Branding – a positive or negative message?’

Thursday 2 May 2013. 7.30am to 9.30am

The first £1.1 million business-led, pan-India network of British business centres has been announced, led by the UK-India Business Council and with support from India-based British business groups.

The announcement came as Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green convened a conference of representatives of 20 overseas business networks, LEP’s and UK business organisations – Norfolk Chambers International Trade Director, Tracey Howard, was also in attendance.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is working with them to build stronger business-to-business support services in twenty priority markets.

By start of April 2013, the Government plans to have agreed partnerships with business groups in a quarter of the 20 markets, half by the end of April and the rest by the end of June.

Lord Green said: “Britain needs more businesses to get exporting to the fast-growing nations of the world – it’s a vital part of our plan for growth. But we need to make taking the first step into an offshore market much less challenging for small and medium-sized exporters.”

British overseas business networks have traditionally not supported exporters to anywhere near the extent that the UK’s European and other major competitors have, and this gap must be closed, he said.

The range of support offered by these networks will vary according to business need and could include mentoring, office space, familiarisation visits and market introductions.

• BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2013 shows progress on a national level, with almost all major balances improving compared with Q4 2012. However Norfolk and the East of England results are not so optimistic, with the manufacturing balance in particular showing a dip in confidence.
• Norfolk businesses are resilient, but many balances are still below pre-recession levels and growth remains too low.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) released today (Tuesday) shows that the economy has made progress, but there are still some mountains to climb before it is fully back on track. The new survey, made up of responses from more than 7,000 businesses, shows that nationally most key balances in both the manufacturing and service sectors strengthened in the first quarter of 2013, with Norfolk export balances in services being stronger than the national totals. Business confidence, investment and training balances are also up. Although, cashflow for Norfolk manufacturers fell into negative territory for the first time since May 2012.

Despite welcome improvements, most indicators are still below their pre-recession levels seen in 2007. It is encouraging that Norfolk employment balances strengthened overall in the first quarter.

Caroline Williams, CEO of Norfolk Chamber said “The findings suggest the economic outlook will improve gradually, and that growth will be positive but subdued this year. The results also demonstrate resilience among Norfolk businesses, many of whom are confident and looking to invest and increase exports this year. Overall, the Q1 results support the BCC and Chamber network’s view that the economy will record positive but subdued growth in 2013.”

Below outlines the Norfolk findings in the Q1 2013 BCC survey:

UK Sales & Exports The Norfolk manufacturing home sales fell by 10 points to 10%, home orders also crashed by a massive 26 points to 0%. Manufacturing exports showed better results with deliveries remaining fairly constant, however export orders dropped by 13 points from 42% to just 29%. The national results showed a different picture, with both home sales and orders and exports orders and deliveries showing small improvements on the Q4 2012 results. Norfolk home sales and orders for the service sector both showed an increase of 5 points, with sales rising +19% and orders to +14%. Service sector export deliveries and orders also showed improved results with deliveries rising by 8 points to +68% and orders by 6 points to +66%.

Recruitment Recruitment in the last 3 months has been slightly depressed for both the service and the manufacturing sectors, this was reflected across Norfolk, the East of England and at a national level. However going forwards, the Norfolk manufacturing employers appear to be more optimistic than the service sector, as 21% expected their workforce to increase over the next 3 months. This is a rise of 18 points from the previous quarter. The service sector only reported an increase of 2 points to 16% for expected recruitment over the next quarter. Both sectors in Norfolk and across the rest of the UK reported that difficulties in recruitment were still an issue for them.

Cashflow The Norfolk manufacturing results deteriorated and fell into negative territory by 12 points to -7%. This was also reflected by the East of England manufacturers, where their results fell still further from -5% to -11%. The national picture showed just a 1 point fall to +2%. Similarly, the Norfolk service sector cashflow results fell by 4 points to 0%, the East of England by 7 points to +4%, but the national results returned from a negative balance with a rise of 7 points to +6%.

Investment in Plant, Machinery & Training Despite cashflow issues, the Norfolk manufacturers invested in plant, machinery and training. Plant and machinery results showed an increase from +6% to +14% and the training results rose by 4 points to +15%. The East of England and national manufacturing results reflected those seen in Norfolk. The Norfolk service sector recorded a downturn in investment in plant and machinery with a 6 point drop to +6%, but a small increase was recorded in training which rose by 2 points.

Turnover and Profitability Both the manufacturing and service sectors in Norfolk showed improved confidence in their turnover, as both recorded increases. These were also reflected in the results for the East of England and nationally. However whilst confidence was high for turnover, the manufacturing sector in Norfolk, East of England and nationally advised that they were not expecting their profitability to improve. These results were similarly mirrored by the service sector, with the exception of the Norfolk service sector, whose results showed a 9 point increase in those companies expecting profitability to improve.

Operating at Full Capacity As a result of the reduced results for both UK sales and Exports, the Norfolk manufacturers showed a decrease in the numbers of businesses operating a full capacity.

Possible Price Increases Across both sectors in Norfolk and across the UK, there was a reduction in the number of businesses expecting to have to increase their prices. This is despite a rise in the number Norfolk and East of England manufacturers and service businesses who have advised that they expect their raw material prices to increase.

Factors of Concern The turmoil surrounding the Euro is being reflected in the increased number of both manufacturing and service employers advising of rising concerns over the exchange rates, which could have a knock-on effect on their levels of export in the next quarter.

Commenting on the national results, John Longworth, Director General of the BCC, said: “Although the progress seen in the first quarter of this year is modest, it is progress nonetheless. The government should be quick to implement the supply-side measures announced in the Budget to get growth moving, and consider new ways to support business confidence, which has continued to rise. It is clear from our survey that any growth this year will be slow and steady, and it is important that this does not veer off course. Recent welcome steps to improve business access to finance, including the commitment to create a business bank, must be followed through without bureaucratic delays. But the scale and scope of the new bank must go well beyond the government’s current plans. Although business supports the government’s plans to shift current spending towards capital investment over the next Parliament, it could go further still to boost growth in the short-term, such as through road maintenance and house building.

“We should not be satisfied with a long and tortuous road to recovery. These results provide a glimpse of the as-yet-distant sunlit uplands of recovery. Businesses up and down the country are working hard to drive the economy, create jobs and export, but they cannot accelerate this process alone. We must be proactive, bold and forthright to bolster business and foster every shred of growth as this will propel our economy forward during the months ahead.”

David Kern, BCC Chief Economist, said: “The improvement seen in most key balances in Q1 supports our view that UK output continued to grow in the early months of 2013. The survey reinforces our assessment that recent GDP figures published by the ONS have exaggerated the weakness of the UK economy and the volatility in output.

“If an announcement of negative growth in Q1 is misleadingly described as a triple-dip recession, confidence will again be damaged unnecessarily. While the results do confirm that the UK’s economic performance is inadequate, they also show areas of strength.

“The surge in the service sector’s export balances suggests that pessimism over UK exports is unjustified. However the UK is increasingly becoming a largely service sector economy, and developing the export potential of the service sector is critical to our future long-term prosperity. We need a two-pronged strategy that combines a commitment to cutting the deficit, with a relentless drive to boost growth and the economy’s productive potential.”

Trade figures recently released by HM Revenue and Customs reveal that the East of England’s export to non-EU destinations is growing at the astonishing rate of 16.4% year on year. Non-EU exports now account for 43.8% cent of the region’s trade as opposed to 36.5% cent in 2011.

The total value of exports from the region during the final three months of 2012 (October-December) was £6.7 billion. This represented a 1.6 per cent increase on the previous quarter and gave an annual total of £26.7 billion.

Exports provide an indication of how international regions are in their outlook, and how able they are to face global competition. These figures show that businesses in the East of England understand the need to explore new markets in the face of continued economic uncertainty in the eurozone area. However, exports to EU markets still account for 56.1% of all exports within the East of England and so their position as a major trading partner cannot be underestimated.

Tracey Howard, International Trade Director of Norfolk Chamber said, “It’s great to see such fantastic results for our region. Among these numbers were increasing rates year on year, for exports to some of the BRIC regions such as Brazil (19%), India (13%) and Russia (21%).

Both the EU and non-EU markets are currently full of opportunities, as highlighted in our recent Global Marketplace series of events.

We are now looking at our events programme for 2013/14 and are planning to host some workshops, to help local firms get on the starting ladder to successful exporting.”

At a recent meeting between Henry Bellingham, MP for North West Norfolk and members of the West Norfolk Chamber Council, the topic of prompt payment was raised. Several members had examples of where they had been required to wait over 90, or even 120 days for payment from their clients, who were in turn were waiting for payment from their customers. This was particularly apparent where large organisations, especially some supermarkets were the end users.

One suggestion put forward was for the affected members to write to theircustomers and query if they had signed up to the Prompt Payment Code (PPC). The PPC is supported by the major business organisations, including the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC); the FSB; CBI and the IOD, who are all championing the importance of paying suppliers promptly and within agreed timescales.

The PPC has three key aims:

1. Pay suppliers on time

• within the terms agreed at the outset of the contract
• without attempting to change payment terms retrospectively
• without changing practice on length of payment for smaller companies on unreasonable grounds

2. Give clear guidance to suppliers

• providing suppliers with clear and easily accessible guidance on payment procedures
• ensuring there is a system for dealing with complaints and disputes which is communicated to suppliers
• advising them promptly if there is any reason why an invoice will not be paid to the agreed terms

3. Encourage good practice

• by requesting that lead suppliers encourage adoption of the code throughout their own supply chains

A survey carried out by the BCC last year on late payments, highlighted that 94% of businesses reported that they have been paid late. Almost one quarter (24%) of businesses reported that over 40% of payments were received late. 34% of firms stated that larger businesses were more likely than smaller businesses to pay late. Almost two-thirds (62%) of businesses said that private sector businesses are the most likely to pay late.

Over a third (38%) of businesses themselves admitted to paying late ‘sometimes’, ‘frequently’ or ‘always’. When asked when they might pay late, a third of businesses (35%) would do so to help cash flow, and another third because they would be unable to pay suppliers until they had received payment from their own customers.

Prompt payment, particularly by larger organisations ensures that the local supply chain and cash flow throughout that supply chain is kept moving. A healthy, fluent supply chain will help support and improve local economic growth.

It is noted that the public sector has improved their payment times and in particular, the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council have a payment schedule of approximately 10 days, which benefits West Norfolk businesses considerably. SMEs look forward to the day when the larger private sector organisations adopt similar principals with regard to prompt payments.

At a recent economic round robin discussion by Norwich Chamber Council members highlighted what was happening in their sectors. The feedback included the following:

Arnold Keys advised that despite the recent inclement weather, Norfolk house builders were still reporting positive sales with lots of valuation work being done on behalf of the high street banks.

John Lewis, Norwich reported that over the last 6 weeks local sales were up by 12%, particularly in home and electrical items. Marks and Spencer and Debenhams also reported increases in their sales in this period.

City College Norwich (part of the TEN Group) reported that their student retention rates were up. It was also noted that new legislation will mean that, from 2013, young people will be required to stay in education or training until they are 17 (this increases to 18 from 2015), which can include apprenticeships as well as full time courses in colleges and schools.

The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (NALEP) recently consulted members of the West Norfolk Chamber Council on the pre-consultation draft of their Plan for Growth. Having reviewed the Plan, the West Norfolk Chamber Council highlighted the following areas that they would like to see the NALEP consider within their Plan for Growth:-

• Improvements to the A47 are seen as vital by West Norfolk businesses to assist economic growth. However they voiced their concern that any improvements would put further constraints on the existing bottleneck routes around King’s Lynn. They asked for these concerns to be taken into consideration when planning the improvements to the A47. One suggestion was for an additional river crossing to ease congestion around King’s Lynn.

• One of the most congested rail routes from Norfolk to London is the King’s Lynn to Kings Cross line and they would like to see equal emphasis placed on this route, as well as the Norwich to London Liverpool Street line.

• Tourism for West Norfolk depends on good roads and good communications, however improving these aspects may have a detrimental effect on the very thing that attracts the tourists. The West Norfolk Chamber Council sought reassurances from the NALEP that the character of the region would not be lost due to growth, whilst benefitting from improved roads and communication links.

The NALEP advised that they would take the above comments into consideration when revising their Growth Plan, which will go out for wider consultation at the beginning of April.

Do you agree with the identified topmost burdensome EU laws?

The 20.8 million European small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) create 85% of all new jobs in Europe, they employ 2/3 of the workforce in the EU and they contribute significantly to innovation and growth.

Following the principle “think small first”, and in line with the Small Business Act of 2008, the Commission advise they have put SMEs at the heart of its smart regulation agenda to help growth and job creation in Europe. In a broad consultation initiated by the Commission, around 1000 SMEs and business organisations have now identified the top 10 most burdensome EU laws.

The purpose of this broad consultation was to check where EU regulation might be impeding jobs and growth and to identify areas or issues which would require further examination and action where necessary. The result published today indicates that SMEs see the biggest difficulties and costs as a consequence of the rules regarding the REACH chemical legislation, value added tax, product safety, recognition of professional qualifications, data protection, waste legislation, labour market related legislation, recording equipment for road transport, public procurement and the modernised customs code.

The following EU laws have been identified by SMEs as the TOP 10 most burdensome EU laws:

• REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)
• VAT – Value added tax legislation
• General Product Safety and market surveillance package
• Recognition of professional qualifications
• Shipments of waste – Waste framework legislation – List of waste and hazardous waste
• Labour market-related legislation
• Data protection
• Working time
• Recording equipment in road transport (for driving and rest periods)
• Procedures for the award of public contracts (public works, supply and service contracts)
• Modernised customs code

The full article can be read here

Commenting on the Chancellor’s Budget speech, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said:

“There is much for business to commend in the Chancellor’s statement, from a wider remit for the Bank of England, to measures on fuel duty, home ownership, and employment. However, many in business will feel that the government could have gone even further to support enterprise and growth – for example, through immediate action on business rates and road maintenance.

“We are at an unprecedented moment in our economic history, and the government should be doing everything in its power to get the economy moving. Many of the Chancellor’s measures are positive but may come too late, particularly for smaller and medium-sized companies. We need urgency, scale and delivery today.

“If Britain is in a global race, as the Chancellor said in his speech, our political elite needs to act accordingly, and pull out all the stops to support enterprise, jobs, wealth creation and exports. Business will appreciate many of the Chancellor’s measures, and his personal commitment to fiscal discipline, enterprise and infrastructure, but will wish he had been even more radical in the pursuit of growth.”

Commenting on the forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“The new OBR forecast for 2013 of 0.6% is identical to our own. For 2014/15 the OBR’s forecasts are still realistic, only marginally higher than our own. However we believe that the OBR’s forecasts for growth beyond 2015 may be too ambitious, as it is hard to envisage UK growth consistently above 2.5%.

“The OBR has confirmed that restoring stability to our public finances will take longer than expected, and that public sector debt as a percentage of GDP will only start declining in 2017/18, two years later than planned in 2010. Nevertheless, the Chancellor’s efforts to switch resources from current to capital spending, and continuing with deficit reduction, are on the right lines.

“The Chancellor’s announcement of a more flexible monetary policy framework will offer some welcome transparency regarding the actions of the MPC, and we will examine the detail carefully. At a time when fiscal policy is squeezing demand, it is right to rely on expansionary monetary policies as the UK has done since 2008. However, it is important that changes to the monetary remit do not give the impression that the MPC will tolerate higher inflation for prolonged periods as this could be damaging in the long-term.”

COMMENT FROM JOHN LONGWORTH DIRECTOR GENERAL OF BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ON SPECIFIC MEASURES IN THE BUDGET

On fiscal policy and government spending:

“The Chancellor has tried hard to shift spending towards growth, with some success. However, the Coalition as a whole should have taken the tough political decision to remove ring-fences around health, overseas aid and universal benefits, which would have allowed more immediate investment in road maintenance, house building, business access to finance and support for exporters.

“The business community will welcome the Chancellor’s move to re-direct money from government departments to infrastructure over the medium term. However, businesses would have liked to see an even bigger shift in government spending towards priorities that unleash enterprise, which in turn delivers jobs, prosperity and the tax revenues needed to shrink the deficit and eventually the national debt.”

On ‘monetary activism’ and a new remit for the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee:

“We welcome the Chancellor’s decision to review the Monetary Policy Committee’s remit, and to give it more latitude to support growth. We will look at the tweaked remit in detail, but the principle of targeting inflation while doing everything possible to support growth is right.”

On business rates:

“Companies across the country are crying out for relief from relentless annual rises in business rates for years, but the Treasury has put off action until the Autumn Statement. Unless a business’s premises are the size of a double garage, or if a firm is building speculatively over the next two years, there’s little relief on offer.

“Heavy taxes on inputs like property drag down business profitability. We urge the Chancellor to take further action on business rates without delay.”

On employment and the new Employment Allowance:

“The Chancellor’s move to help our smallest companies take on staff by cutting their employers’ national insurance bills by £2,000 will give many businesses an important boost of confidence. Small companies should be able to focus on growth rather than worry about getting hit by employment taxes.”

On Growth Vouchers:

“The British Chambers of Commerce proposed a voucher scheme to help businesses access growth advice in September 2012. We are pleased that the Chancellor has accepted our proposal and committed £30m to help companies around the country get the advice they need to grow, on their own terms. Chambers of Commerce around the country look forward to working with the government to bring the scheme to life – and enable businesses to get the specialist assistance they need, whether on finance, employment law, or other areas.”

On business access to finance:

Business bank:

“BCC has long campaigned for the establishment of a business bank, and for it to be of sufficient size and scale to provide the sort of support to new and growing businesses seen in Canada, the USA, Korea, and Germany. A British Business Bank requires a vision and proper resourcing. Unless it has both, it can’t back the dynamic companies that have failed to get patient growth capital in this country for decades.

“While we will await further detail on the business bank’s start-up activities, we would have liked to have seen a radical increase in the initial funding on offer. The Chancellor has, however, given greater flexibility to the Bank of England to support growth. So we will urge the incoming governor of the Bank of England to underwrite or capitalise the business bank using the BoE balance sheet.”

Funding for Lending

“The Chancellor mentioned that the Treasury are working on improvements to the Funding for Lending scheme, which has helped the mortgage market but has done little or nothing to solve the issues businesses face when trying to access finance. While will we support any idea that could help boost the scheme’s effectiveness for business lending, Funding for Lending can ultimately do little beyond lowering the cost of finance for companies already considered by banks to be ‘safe bets’. Only greater competition in the banking sector and a properly capitalised Business Bank, which would drive up appetite for risk, can deal with the very real frustrations we see in the business community across the UK.”

On housing and the mortgage market:

“The Chancellor’s efforts to grease the wheels of the mortgage market are significant and positive. However, we argue that moves in the mortgage market should be complemented by direct support for the building of new houses. Direct support for construction creates jobs and supply chain activity, and boosts business confidence fast.”

On transport infrastructure:

“Business appreciates the Chancellor’s personal commitment to improving Britain’s transport infrastructure – and his efforts to reverse the damaging cuts to transport spending that we warned all parties against. His £18bn shift from current spending to capital investment over the next Parliament is welcome. However, by its very nature, the switch announced in the Budget will only have an impact in the medium-term.

“As part of a wider re-prioritisation of resources on measures to boost confidence, jobs and growth, the Chancellor should have gone even further and used this Budget to divert unproductive current spending into road maintenance and repairs today. This would have had immediate effects on business confidence, construction sector jobs, and the effectiveness of our transport network.”

On energy infrastructure:

“We welcome the Chancellor’s commitments on energy, as they contribute to our overall energy security and resilience. We hope these announcements, together with the confidence generated by planning permission for new nuclear, will reduce the political risk that has dogged private investment in energy infrastructure.

“What’s more, we need to get more creative to de-risk investment in these major projects. The Bank of England could play an important role here, by offering guarantees that help to de-risk infrastructure investment for pension funds, institutions and sovereign wealth funds from across the world.”

On international trade and export support:

“If Britain is in a global race, as the Prime Minister is so fond of saying, we must pull out all the stops to support our exporters.

“While we welcomed the Chancellor’s commitment of new funds to support trade promotion in the Autumn Statement, and are working closely with the government to boost assistance to exporters, more can still be done to turbo-charge export support for British companies. There is a need to provide even more practical help in overseas markets for companies wanting to export.”

On corporation tax:

“All companies will cheer the news that Corporation Tax will fall to 20% by 2015. This is an important fillip to business confidence, particularly among global investors.

“The Chancellor may, in future, need to consider even further tax cuts of this nature if there is no sign of resurgent growth over the coming months.”

On public sector pay:

“The Chancellor is right to restrain public sector pay, especially in light of continued pay restraint in hard-working businesses across the UK.”

Based at the Norwich Research Park, ABC Food Safety provides specialist training and consultancy services to local authorities and the food industry.

About us

ABC Food Safety was established in 2002 by Dr Andy Bowles and Sharon Bowles. Andy had previously been employed as a Quality Assurance Manager by Dairy Crest Dairies; Head of Environmental Health at the London Borough of Enfield and lecturer in food law at Middlesex University. Sharon is a practising solicitor with experience gained in local government, private industry and a city law firm.

What do we do?

For the last 11 years our work has primarily been focused on the development and delivery of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training courses for Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers in food law and enforcement topics. We have provided many of these courses on behalf of the Food Standards Agency and we have, for example, trained over 1000 enforcement officers on the consistent application of the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. We have recently begun to provide training courses, seminars and consultancy services to the food industry on topics such as the Food Information Regulation, Food Traceability, Allergen Control, Imported Food and Food Law for Technical Managers. Many of our courses are held at Norwich City Football Club and our seminars are limited to 10 delegates to allow the opportunity for attendees to discuss their particular concerns with the tutor.

We also run two online training services: one on behalf of the Food Standards Agency to help enforcement officers to apply official controls on imported foods (www.importedfood.co.uk); the other online training service is available by subscription to local authorities and the food industry and provides courses on topics such as Dairy Products, Sous Vide and Vacuum Pack System, E.coli o157 Control of Cross Contamination and Food Allergen Control. The service is available at www.abcfoodsafety.co.uk.

How can we help your business? We are food law specialists and our services are of particular relevance to food manufacturers, importers/exporters, producers, processors, food research institutions, universities, local authorities and other interested parties. We can provide expert opinion and guidance on a range of food topics including:

• Traceability and product recall
• HACCP systems
• Food labeling
• Imported food controls
• Feed and food hygiene law
• Food sampling
• Food allergen control

Please feel free to contact us for an informal chat on how we can help your business to meet the requirements of food law. We can arrange bespoke in-house training, bespoke online training as well as consultancy.

Contact

ABC Food Safety

Telephone: 01603 274486

e-mail: [email protected]

West Site A Innovation Centre Norwich Research Park Norwich Norfolk NR4 7GJ

www.abcfoodsafety.co.uk

Commenting on the Government response to Lord Heseltine’s Review, No Stone Unturned, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“Chambers of Commerce welcome the government’s commitment to localise some funding and decision-making around transport and skills in order to unleash the enterprise and growth latent in local communities across England. We commend Lord Heseltine for his dogged pursuit of a growth blueprint that promotes business and innovation and reduces dependency on Whitehall and Westminster.

Working with others, we will also continue to develop our aspiration to be a ‘first-stop shop’ for any local business seeking advice or support, as Chambers have a front door in every main town and city across the country.”

Caroline Williams Chief Executive Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: “It is essential that the business community identifies and articulates what its needs are to provide the growth needed to strengthen the local economy. We have regular meetings with our MPs and the two LEPs covering our area. and have recently given specific feedback on the developing New Anglia LEP Plan for Growth. Norfolk Chamber will continue to work with its partners and via its membership to give local help and support to its members and the wider business community through its lobbying activity, events and its community website.”

Today’s decision to grant EDF Energy consent to construct a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset represents a huge achievement. It follows three years of in-depth consultation with local communities and a year long examination by the UK Planning Inspectorate.

The approval was met with wide political consensus in the House of Commons today.

The process was an immense undertaking to examine the impact of the construction and operation of the site on the community and environment. It included detailed studies on housing, transport and jobs and demonstrated EDF Energy’s commitment to be open, transparent and to listen.

The submission included 55,000 pages of detailed evidence, more than 100 public meetings and exhibitions, as well as individual responses to 33,000 comments received from the public and stakeholders. Agreement reached during consultation with local communities led to a number of changes to the planning application.

Opportunity now for immediate UK economic growth

The approval is the final major permission needed to allow construction of Hinkley Point C. It is a project which can provide the UK with enough secure low carbon electricity to meet 7% of the country’s needs for 60 years or more.

Today’s decision follows the granting of a Nuclear Site Licence and the approval of the power station’s design (Generic Design Assessment) by the UK nuclear safety authority and the award last week of key environmental permits by the Environment Agency. Hinkley Point C also has the potential to give a massive boost to the economy with 25,000 people working on the power station during its construction, and 900 during its lifetime. Its construction can strengthen the UK’s industrial capability, equipping it to compete for business around the world.

The approval by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change also means that Hinkley Point C is the first piece of national infrastructure on this scale to be approved under the new 2008 Planning Act. This rigorous process was achieved in time. This remarkable achievement now needs to be matched by the finalisation of a contract for the electricity to be produced at Hinkley Point C. Swift success in negotiations with Government over this Contract for Difference is the key to unlocking the investment needed.

EDF Energy Chief Executive Vincent de Rivaz said: “Receiving permission to construct a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C is a huge achievement, which represents years of hard work. It reflects an extraordinary level of edfenergy.comprofessionalism and work from EDF Energy’s planning team, the Planning Inspectorate, local authorities and a wide range of stakeholders.

“This decision sets up a huge opportunity for this project to provide enormous benefits to the UK in jobs, skills, cutting carbon emissions and future energy security. We are ready to deliver and an extensive supply chain is standing by to begin work.

“To make this opportunity a reality, we need to reach agreement swiftly on the Contract for Difference for Hinkley Point C. It must offer a fair and balanced deal for consumers and investors. Intensive discussions with the Government are taking place and agreement is still possible.

“The success of this pioneering project will kick start the new nuclear programme in the UK and is expected to lead to lower costs for successive UK nuclear plants.”

For media enquiries please contact:

Tim McCoy Head of Media Relations EDF Energy 07875119378[email protected]