News

BCC responds to changes to Job Retention Scheme and support for the self-employed

Commenting on the Chancellor’s announcement today (29th May) on additional changes that will be made to the Job Retention Scheme from July onwards, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “The Chancellor has listened to business communities and struck a careful balance that will help many firms bring furloughed staff back to work flexibly over the coming months.

BCC responds to Prime Minister’s announcement on reopening of the retail sector

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement on the phased reopening of the retail sector in England, related workplace guidance and enforcement powers, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “Clarity and guidance on plans for a phased reopening of the retail sector will be welcomed.

BCC responds to 14-day quarantine for air passengers

Responding to the planned government announcement of a 14-day quarantine for all air passengers arriving in the UK, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “Business communities in the UK and around the world will be deeply concerned by the decision to impose a blanket quarantine for international arrivals.

BCC responds to publication of UK trade tariffs

Commenting on the publication of the UK Global Tariff that will apply to imported goods from 1 January 2021, BCC director general Adam Marshall said: “The publication of the UK Global Tariff provides welcome clarity for businesses as they prepare for life outside of the EU.

BCC responds to launch of government guarantee to support provision of trade credit insurance

Commenting on the launch of a temporary government backed guarantee to support the provision of trade credit insurance for businesses, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “The government has demonstrated once again that it is listening to the concerns of our business communities.

BCC responds to ONS Q1 2020 GDP stats

Commenting on GDP statistics for Q1 2020, published today (13 May) by the ONS, BCC Head of Economics Suren Thiru said: “The contraction in UK GDP in the first quarter underscores the negative impact that coronavirus had on the economy, even at its earliest stages. The quarterly decline was driven by a sharp drop in monthly GDP in March with activity in all sectors contracting as the UK went into lockdown.

BCC responds to Government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy and workplace guidance

Commenting on the publication of the UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery plan and associated workplace guidance, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: "This is a significant step forward in terms of the information available for businesses, who will now need to digest the detail. The guidance signals big changes for the way that many businesses operate, and some firms will now need time to plan and speak to their employees so that they can return to work safely."