Monthly Lobbying Update – December 2021
Welcome to your BOSS lobbying update for December 2021.
This update brings you all you need to know about what BOSS has been doing on your behalf to influence Government and Parliament. We keep you abreast of what’s happening in the political arena which might have an impact on your business, and the industry more widely.
But we can’t lobby Government and Parliament without hearing from you! This update will also let you know about upcoming opportunities to share your views and experiences with us, so that we can develop the BOSS’s policies and seek to influence Westminster and Whitehall.
Political Update
Labour had a reshuffle last week, with a new Shadow Business Secretary announced. Jonathan Reynolds, the MP for Stalybridge & Hyde, was previously on Labour’s Treasury Team and then the party’s spokesperson for Work & Pensions. Rachel Reeves remains Shadow Chancellor and Angela Rayner stays on as Deputy Leader.
On the other side of the House, three Conservative MPs have given up second jobs as advisers to private firms ahead of an expected change to Parliament’s standards rules. The Prime Minister has said that in the future MPs will be banned from such roles, after weeks of headlines generated by Owen Paterson MP, who resigned after breaking conduct rules by lobbying the Government on behalf of two companies with which he held paid positions.
At time of writing, news is bubbling up that Downing Street held a number of parties in the run-up to Christmas last year, while indoor mixing was banned in London under COVID restrictions. The Prime Minister said last week that all guidance was followed, but more details have emerged.
There’s a by-election in Old Bexley & Sidcup today, following the death of Conservative MP James Brokenshire in October. The Conservatives are expected to hold the seat with a reduced majority. North Shropshire will also hold one (on 16 December) following the resignation of Owen Paterson. A by-election in Southend West (the seat of the late Sir David Amess MP) is not expected to be held until early 2022.
Government News
Exporting?
If you’re having difficulty with trade, the Government has set up an Export Support Service for any UK business selling goods or services to Europe.
You can ask any question for your business, including on:
• exporting to new markets
• paperwork you need to sell your goods abroad
• rules for a specific country where you want to sell.
There is an online facility to ask a question or you can call 0300 303 8955.
If you have a question about importing, you can still call the Customs and International Trade helpline on 0300 322 9434 or use the webchat function.
Commercial rents
New laws and a Code of Practice have been introduced to resolve the remaining commercial rent debts accrued because of the pandemic. The Code provides landlords and tenants with a process for settling outstanding debts before the new arbitration process comes into force in March 2022. Until that time, commercial tenants are protected from eviction.
Activity Roundup
Plastic Packaging Tax update
Our partner BPIF have submitted a response to HMRC’s technical consultation on the Plastic Packaging Tax regulations using the opportunity to question the inclusion of print as a ‘substantial modification’ at the end of a process, which means the printer becomes liable for the Tax.
They also wrote directly to HMRC Chief Executive Jim Harra to raise this concern, and their worries that HMRC is not doing enough to publicise the incoming tax and to support businesses to prepare. They made a number of practical requests, including for more webinars (the most recent being fully booked) and for a dedicated HMRC contact who could provide definitive answers.
The tax comes into force on 1st April 2022.
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Funerals Order
With our partners BPIF we’ve had a successful result for lobbying on the Competition & Market Authority’s Funerals Order.
The Order was preventing funeral directors from ordering promotional merchandise to gift to hospices and care homes. Working with the British Promotional Merchandise Association and the National Association of Funeral Directors, BPIF wrote to the CMA to raise the issue. We’ve since heard that the CMA have confirmed that preventing Funeral Directors from buying promotional material was not an intended consequence of the Order, and that funeral directors can return to using promo merchandise immediately.