BCC comments ahead of Prime Minister’s speech

Take a look at BCC’s response to the Prime Minister’s speech in the West Midlands today, in which he will announce a ‘New Deal for Britain’. See the HMG press release for reference and share our response with your members on Twitter and LinkedIn.


Temporary easements in Corporate Insolvency and Governance act

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act has received royal assent and has come into force. The Act introduces temporary easements for AGMs and filing requirements for PLCs, new corporate restructuring tools to the insolvency regime to give companies the time they need to maximise their chance of survival and temporarily suspends parts of insolvency law to support directors.

UK Chambers should review the detailed government guidance on the changes and share with your members.


July Economic Statement submission from the BCC

See BCC’s recent submission to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP regarding proposals for the July Economic Statement. The submission highlights that the priority for must be to take bold and substantial action now to inject momentum and confidence back into the UK economy with measures aimed at delivering an economic recovery across the whole of the UK. Review the recent submission and contact the BCC policy team with any queries.


Template letter for UK Chambers to send to local MPs

As discussed on yesterday’s UK Chamber CEO call, BCC has drafted a template letter for UK Chambers to send to local MPs if they wish to do so. This includes the key findings of our Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) Q2 and also highlights the importance of Chambers to local economic recovery plans. If you choose to use this template, please respect the embargo on the QES findings (1July) and share with the summary report tomorrow.


OTHER NEWS

New funding to help cutting-edge companies grow and drive economic recovery

Innovate UK has launched a new fund to help pioneering companies of all sizes recover, grow and drive a re-building economy. The COVID-19 Sustainable Innovation Fund will target those innovative companies needing to keep their great ideas alive during the current pandemic, in turn contributing to revolutions across whole sectors and transforming the way people live, work and travel. See more information and share with your members as relevant.


Guidance on Marauding terrorist attacks

Following the recent terrorist incident in Reading, please see the new guidance for businesses on how to assess the risk of Marauding terrorist attacks and implement a range of protective security mitigations.It is most relevant to office buildings, including multiple tenancy buildings. However, the principles of the advice may be usefully applied to all types of location. UK Chambers please review and share with your members.


HGV Road User Levy suspended for 12 months from August

The UK government has announced that the HGV Road User Levy, applied to HGVs of 12 tonnes or more, will be suspended for a year. The suspension runs from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021. A Levy rate of zero will automatically apply at a vehicle’s normal VED/Levy renewal date from August onwards so you won’t have to do anything. The suspension is applied to UK and overseas-registered HGVs using the UK’s roads. Please share with your members as relevant.


Open letter from businesses in support of /together

A number of community focused activities are coming together for the NHS Birthday 2020 on 5 July. See the open letter from business leaders co-signed by Adam Marshall in support of /together and the community activities happening on 5 July. Share with your members using this support pack for businesses.