Chamber News

The following is update on the BIS Business in You (BiY) campaign businessinyou.bis.gov.uk. So far there have been over 90,000 visits to the “Business in You” portal and there are now 9,900 subscribers to email updates.

The current theme is employment which covers existing and new offers to businesses, cutting across several departments and channels. There is also a new online tool, “Taking on an Employee”, which brings together everything a business needs when considering employing for the first time. The new tool can be found at: www.businesslink.gov.uk/employ.”

Other content which may be of interest includes:

Myth-busting around employment law/regulations (hosted at https://www.bis.gov.uk/common-employment-myths) Financial help to employ apprentices and young people (eg via DWP’s Youth Contract) – https://www.improve.businesslink.gov.uk/node/12988

The Business in You has also teamed up with The Guardian and Channel 4 as part of the drive to support small and medium sized businesses.

The partnership includes a competition run by The Guardian for start-ups and growing businesses, who get a chance to win a package of business support, mentoring and £15,000 worth of advertising in The Guardian. Channel 4 have produced adverts and video clips, which show real-life case studies of successful small businesses designed to inspire new start-ups and help existing ones to grow. To find out more go to www.guardian.co.uk/business-in-you

Finally, a major direct mail campaign has also been launched – targeted at growing businesses – via Companies House, who are in turn promoting BiY through their new “Get it Right, First Time” series of events. Events are taking place in London on 3 July: https://www.ipo.gov.uk/getitright.htm

It has been almost three months since the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published with the aim of making the planning system less complex, more accessible and an enabler of economic growth. The NPPF came into force immediately for local authorities with no local plan. For local authorities with a local plan already in place, they were given 12 months to adjust so they are in complete conformity with the new framework.

The key to the success of the NPPF will be its implementation and we will be monitoring this over the coming months. Therefore, if you are aware of businesses that have applied for planning permission since the NPPF publication and would like to share their experiences, please let us know. We are also interested to find out if the general perception by businesses of the planning system has changed please let us have your feedback below.

On 18th October 2012, more than 800 business men and women from all over Europe will get the chance to take over the European Parliament hemicycle for an afternoon. Those taking part will debate and vote on issues that affect the day to day running of their business and the environment in which they operate.

The event will be opened by Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission and Martin Schultz, President of the European Parliament. The afternoon will be devoted to a discussion around what government and business can do to boost growth in Europe after which, key Commissioners and MEPs will be asked to respond. A series of practical recommendations will then be voted on by the members and given to the press and EU leaders meeting in Brussels the next day.

The British Chambers of Commerce has been allocated 73 seats in the hemicycle, in line with the number of MEPs that represent the UK in the European Parliament. These will be allocated to businesses on a first come first served basis and online registration will be available in June. If you are interested please let [email protected] know.

Commenting on the new StartUP Loan Scheme launched by the Prime Minister today, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“We have some excellent businesses here in Norfolk that have been built up from scratch; companies that have become successes thanks to the drive and ambition of our entrepreneurs.. Every business has to start from somewhere and it is these smaller, growing companies that will be integral to the future of our economy.

“But for many young people, the finances needed to get a business idea off the ground can deter them from starting up. This scheme will inspire more young people with a passion for business to transform their ideas into reality. If the loan scheme is successful, and we see more young people starting up businesses, it has the potential to benefit the economy, and tackle the problems of getting young people into work. Furthermore, schools and colleges should take an active role in encouraging young people to make the most of these opportunities. Norfolk Chamber is doing all it can to encourage new businesses with its own special membership offer to all start up businesses of only £99+vat which can be paid monthly installments with no joining fee.. This not only gives great benefits needed when you start up a business but all the marketing opportunities available to members are also included. More details “.

The government outlined a series of energy related reforms this week in order to introduce stability into the market. On Tuesday, a draft energy bill was brought before Parliament. The bill will extend feed-in tariffs to large scale energy projects, introduce emission performance targets for power stations and measures to ensure there is excess capacity in the system to provide security of supply. The draft bill will now be examined by a Parliamentary Select Committee and a full bill is expected later this year. Read more on this in British Chamber of Commerce blog here.

On Thursday it was announced that the next wave of cuts to solar feed-in tariff incentives will come into effect from August 1. The tariffs will be set to decrease on a three month basis thereafter, with pauses if the market slows down. All tariffs will continue to be index-linked to inflation. The new tariffs should give a return on investment (ROIs) of over six percent. The measures have been broadly welcomed by the solar industry.

The Rt. Hon John Hayes MP, the Minister of state for Skills, Further Education & Lifelong Learning, delivered an inspirational speech at the Norfolk Chamber’s High Five Lunch held on Friday 18 May.

The Minister provided an insightful review of his hard work and successes since coming into office in 2010. He has rejuvenated the apprenticeship system and put employers back in the driving seat. There are now almost 500,000 apprenticeship starts a year and the number of apprenticeships have increased across all sectors, in all age categories and in every region in Britain since 2010. The Minister advised that the key was to make the system more demand based, and to highlight how the Apprenticeship system could provide businesses with what they need.

Speaking to an audience of West Norfolk businesses at the High Five Lunch, held in King’s Lynn Town Hall, the Minister highlighted the importance of apprenticeships to Norfolk;

“Apprenticeships should be the vehicle of choice to up-skill the existing workforce in Norfolk and 88% of businesses that take on an apprentice said that they added value to their business. I see working with the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce as a way to increase the profile and the take up of apprenticeships, so that we can create the skilled workforce needed to ensure that the Norfolk economy grows and prospers”.

The Minister was introduced to the delegates attending the lunch by Henry Bellingham MP, who highlighted that “The local economy is remarkably resilient, but the whole skills agenda is absolutely pivotal to its future. That is why today’s event is so important. It will allow the Minister to see what we are doing in West Norfolk, together with the Norfolk Chamber, to ensure that we have the right skills in place for when the economy picks up”.

The High Five Lunch is a successful series of business networking events based in West Norfolk. The event was sponsored by Lloyds TSB Commercial and the National Apprenticeship Service. The next event in the series will take place on Thursday 5 July.

Photos from the event are avalible onFacebookandGoogle+

Commenting on the draft energy bill, published today, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:

“If the UK is going to attract the tens of billions of pounds of investment that is required to update the country’s ageing energy infrastructure, the electricity market must be predictable and stable for both businesses and investors. As the energy market moves towards a decarbonised future, we need to ensure that reforms don’t mean more costs piled on business. That’s why we’re encouraged to see proposed measures that will allow the government to consult with firms, and consider their needs in any changes.

“The UK needs a balanced energy mix to guarantee future security of supply. New nuclear plants have to be a key part of the mix, but plans for the next generation of nuclear power stations are behind schedule. We welcome incentives that would encourage investment in new nuclear, and urge the government to stick firmly to these proposals to avoid further delays. We need to see action to guarantee energy supply for the long-term, as a prerequisite for inward investment and growth.”

Draft bill: https://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm83/8362/8362.pdf

How is your business is doing in these challenging economic times – have the events in Europe affected you, or are you managing to grow your business in spite of everything that is happening?

The last QES survey reported that Norfolk businesses were planning to invest in plant, machinery and training and they were cautiously optimistic and hoping for a better quarter. Let us know how your business is doing and what you think about the future and possible economic growth.

The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) is used by the Bank of England and the Chancellor to plan the future of the UK economy. The survey takes less than 3 minutes to complete, so please take the time to input into this important survey to ensure Norfolk has a voice. The survey needs to be completed online by Monday 11 June 2012.

Please click here. The Password is economy and your Chamber ID number is 75. If you prefer a hard copy please print the attached form and fax back to 01603 633032.

Commenting on the proposals outlined in the Beecroft Report, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber, said:

“Adrian Beecroft is right to point out that at a time when millions of people are unemployed, ministers should be looking for ways to make it easier and less costly to employ people, not the other way around. Of course employment rights are important, but should be weighed against opportunities for the unemployed who are looking for work.

“Ministers should consider and progress all proposals that would give businesses greater confidence to hire – an outcome that would benefit companies, individuals and the UK economy as a whole.”

Commenting on the proposal for a new compensated no-fault dismissal route:

“Employers tell us that hiring staff is expensive, so dismissing someone is always a last resort. We are not saying that businesses should be able to ‘fire at will’, but the fear of not being able to dismiss a troublesome employee prevents many businesses from recruiting.

“A compensated no-fault dismissal route would be more favourable financially for an employee than if they were managed out of the business on performance grounds. Both parties would also avoid the emotional distress, uncertainty and reputational damage of an employment tribunal. However, this system would be costly and would not provide the full protection offered by compromise agreements, so would only be used in extreme cases. Furthermore, the impact on employment rights is minimal and vastly outweighed by the boost to employer confidence and the number of jobs it help to generate.

“Compensated no-fault dismissal should accompany proposals to make compromise agreements easier for employers to use. This will help businesses create jobs for the large number of talented, hard-working people that are unemployed in the UK.”

Commenting on flexible working and shared parental leave proposals:

“Businesses are not against flexible working or shared parental leave as concepts, but face real problems when it comes to implementation. Most businesses cannot accommodate unlimited flexible working and are concerned by the potential damage to employee relationships if they grant one request and have to turn down a more worthy request later.

“Shared parental leave introduces new and serious complexity to the relationship between an employer and member of staff. For the first time the employer-employee relationship will be contingent on a third party – the employee’s partner’s boss. Employers should be able to focus on the day to day running of their business and creating jobs and growth, rather than managing the family matters of employees.”

Only one in five eats five a day, poll suggests Just one in five Britons eats the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, a poll for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggests.

Record number of staff spurn sick days A record number of workers are taking no days off sick, but long-term absences are growing because of rising stress and back pain, according to a new workplace survey.

‘Forget BMI, just measure your waist and height’ say scientists People concerned about heart disease and diabetes should simply take their height and waist measurements to figure out their risk, say British researchers

How we start getting fat just three hours after a big meal Once eaten, fat is stored on the waistline within hours, say scientists – far faster than previously thought.

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Oliver call on PM to fight obesity Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and England footballer Steven Gerrard are calling on the government to fight obesity through cookery teaching in schools.

Dental shake-up needed ‘to tackle fraud’ High levels of dental fraud in England prove the system needs overhauling, ministers say.

GP-led musculoskeletal scheme cuts waits and boosts outcomes A GP-led musculoskeletal service has improved waiting times and outcomes and the model it uses should be widely adopted by GP commissioners, clinicians have said.

Time to end the scandal of our 9-to-5 NHS: ‘It’s outrageous patients suffer because my colleagues refuse to give up their weekends,’ says top A&E doctor The risk of dying if a patient is admitted to A&E on a Saturday or a Sunday is 9.5% higher compared to the rest of the week, according to a recent study.

Dead donor saved my skin: Gran’s ulcers healed by skin graft from dead people Until the transplant, the 92-year-old had suffered from painful ulcers on her legs for 20 years

Face-to-face consultations by GPs ‘no longer sustainable’ General practice is ‘no longer sustainable’ in its current form, with a squeezed workforce, increasingly complex demands and a shifting financial landscape requiring GPs to radically alter way they work, a new report has claimed.

Teenage organ donor saves eight lives A public schoolgirl who died from a brain haemorrhage aged 13 has saved eight lives by donating her organs.

UK addicted to sleeping pills: Stress-related insomnia on rise since start of the economic crunch Britain has become a nation of sleeping pill addicts since the start of the economic downturn, figures revealed yesterday.

Facebook and Twitter liked for health One in three people are now using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for health related issues according to a study by management consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Now in its third year, the Norfolk Chamber’s Sustainability Conference was held at the John Innes Centre on Thursday 10 May and was superbly attended and supported both by the local business community and by a range of national companies that travelled into Norwich specifically for the event.

Photos from the conference can be viewed on Facebook or Google+

Here you can find a number of the presentations used by the speakers:

• George Padelopoulos,Sustainability Manager – Ethical Trade, B&Q
• Andy Wood, Chief Executive of Adnams and Chair of New Anglia LEP
• Damian Baker, Managing Director,REN Energy
• Paul Bourgeois, Director, Zero Carbon Britain
• Mark Pendlington, Group Director Anglian Water
• Dr John French, CEO Adapt Low Carbon Group

Visit England has published the results of its ‘Great Britain Day Visits Survey 2011‘. Norwich is listed as one of the top ten city destinations in the UK, with only London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Liverpool ahead.

Caroline Williams, CEO, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said “As Norwich has a great deal to offer its day visitors, from culture to retail activities, both indoors and outdoors, it is t not surprising that we are the sixth most popular city to visit in the UK. With over 17 million day visitors last year, spending well in excess of £572,000 in the city, this recognition is welcome news to retailers, leisure and tourism businesses alike.

Tourism day visits are an important element of tourism demand, estimated to account for around half of total tourism spend in the UK. Tourism is an integral part of Norfolk’s economy and day trippers help contribute towards Norfolk’s economic growth.”

For more details and to read the full story.