Policy Update 10th October 2023

Welcome to this week’s policy update. As ever please do get in touch with me, suzanne@cumbriachamber.co.uk, if you would like to discuss the following, or other, business issues, put forward your views and/or provide real life examples that we can use in lobbying activity.  

The British Chambers of Commerce, Q3 Quarterly Economic Survey has been published. Nationally the survey shows that the percentage of firms expecting to raise prices in the next three months has fallen for the fifth consecutive quarter. The data also reveals that for the second quarter running the main factor for increasing costs is coming from wages. You can read the Q3 report here: PowerPoint Presentation (exactdn.com) and read our media release here.

The team at British Chambers of Commerce continue to be out and about working on your behalf, although it’s quieter than usual again this week as the House of Commons is in recess for the Party Conference Season. This week:

• Members of the team are at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool with many engagements planned, including with the Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, Shadow Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds and other members of the Shadow Treasury and Business Ministerial teams. Discussions will include how Labour’s regional growth strategy can support skills development, innovation, and devolution, how to support small businesses to digitalise, and the opportunities for policymakers and businesses to collaborate on international trade. BCC’s fringe event at this conference focussed on People and Work – how can business and government work together to address skills shortages.

Last week the BCC team:

• At the Conservative Party Conference, held many political engagements, hosted a fringe event, and responded to several speeches by Cabinet Ministers. They engaged on your behalf with the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Business & Trade Kemi Badenoch, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Claire Coutinho, the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan, Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake, Trade Policy Minister Nigel Huddleston, Treasury Minister Victoria Atkins, Vice Chair of the Conservative Party Saqib Bhatti, the Prime Minister’s Chief Business Adviser Franck Pettigas, Treasury and Cities Minister Andrew Griffith as well as Metro Mayors for Liverpool Steve Rotheram and the West Midlands Andy Street. 

You can read BCC’s response to speeches by the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Business and Trade here: BCC reacts to Conservative Party Conference Speeches  - British Chambers of Commerce. And to the Prime Minister’s speech here: CHAMBER NETWORK RESPONDS TO HS2 ANNOUNCEMENT  - British Chambers of Commerce. Following the HS2 announcement BCC Director General Shevaun Haviland spoke with the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser & Director for Business Relations, Tom D’Silva, sharing the strong feedback to the announcement from across the network. The speeches are summarised here: 23-10-Conservative-Party-Conference-Summaries-of-key-speeches.pdf (britishchambers.org.uk).

• Took part in an industry roundtable with Minister Lord Callanan on the future of the Emissions Trading Scheme and impacts upon trade. 
• Had further discussions with the UK’s India Negotiating Team on our priorities for the trade negotiations ongoing with India.

Last week was OECD Trade Week, alongside meetings in Paris there was also publication of a  report on digital trade which aligns with the proposals in the BCC Trade Manifesto.  

The next BCC Trade Policy Committee is on 24th October, so please let me know beforehand anything you’d like to feed in, suzanne@cumbriachamber.co.uk.

Update on the Allerdale Geological Disposal Facility. Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) has been engaging with the Allerdale community about the potential for hosting a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) to dispose of the UK’s most radioactive waste. As part of this process NWS obtained existing data and undertook assessments to understand if six siting factors, safety and security, community, environment, engineering feasibility, transport, and value for money, could be supported if a GDF were sited in Allerdale. Following a comprehensive and robust evaluation of information it was concluded only a limited volume of suitable rock was identifiable and the geology in the area was unlikely to support a post closure safety case. NWS has therefore taken the decision not to take Allerdale further in the search for a suitable site to host a GDF. Initial assessments of existing data and information for the other three communities in the siting process have indicated potentially suitable geology, which is why NWS is continuing in the siting process with those communities. You can read more here: Welcome | Allerdale GDF Community Partnership (workinginpartnership.org.uk).  

Westmorland & Furness Council are consulting on their draft Statements of Licensing and Gambling Policies:

• Statement of Licensing Policy 2024-2029. The Licensing Act 2003 requires that the Council, acting as the Licensing Authority, prepare, consult on and publish a Statement of Licensing Policy to be published every five years, setting out the policies the Council will generally apply to promote the four licensing objectives when making decisions on applications under the Act. You can read the draft statement here: Draft Statement of Licensing Policy for Consultation.pdf (govdelivery.com).
• Statement on Gambling Policy 2024-2027. The Gambling Act 2005 requires that the Council, acting as the Licensing Authority to prepare, consult on and publish a Statement of Gambling Policy every three years, setting out how the Authority will manage the licensing of local gambling premises. You can read the draft statement here: Draft Statement of Gambling Policy for Consultation.pdf (govdelivery.com).

These will be Westmorland and Furness Council’s first Statement of Licensing Policy and Statement of Gambling Policy and once adopted will be in force from 1 April 2024. You can send any comments to the Council via email before 31st December 2023, commercial@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has developed a new package of advice materials for employers concerning anti-competitive practices in labour markets including wage fixing and no-poaching agreements. They have created new resources which can be shared with employers including their: 

• Series of videos designed to explain what the most common types of cartels look like, Types of cartels - Cheating or competing
• Short guide for employers on how to avoid anti-competitive behaviour, Avoid breaking competition law: Advice for employers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Cheating or Competing campaign page, with guidance on how to spot, avoid and report illegal business cartels, Cheating or competing - Cheating or competing

The Egyptian-British Chamber of Commerce (EBCC) in partnership with the Department of Business and Trade and British Waters are organising a three day business mission to Egypt, 29th October – 7th November. The business mission coincides with Cairo Water Week and aims to discuss the opportunities available in the water sector based on the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities and British Water. Please let me know if you would like to register or to receive more information, suzanne@cumbriachamber.co.uk.  

Ever heard of "preference" in trade? It's like rolling out the red carpet for certain products based on where they're from. If your products align with the origin rules in a Trade Agreement, it can unlock the door to reduced tariffs, more lenient quotas, and favourable trade terms. In simpler terms, meeting origin requirements in an agreement grants your product "preference." This means you're paying lower tariffs than those non-qualifying goods. If you’re a Chamber member you can join BCC’s Preference Utilisation webinar on 18th October, 2-3pm, diving into the details and guiding you on how to leverage these benefits to your advantage. For more information contact me, suzanne@cumbriachamber.co.uk.  

Suzanne Caldwell

Managing Director