13 December 2022
Campaigning for you - Meeting with Kevin Hollinrake, Personal Care Minister
The NHBF had a useful introductory meeting with Kevin Hollinrake MP, the new Minister for Personal Care Services in the Department for Business, on Thursday last week.
We took the opportunity to set out the challenges the sector faces, using the data we collected from our State of the Industry surveys over the last two years, allowing us to show him the trends. This enabled us to highlight the need for the following:
i) further support to businesses through the cost of doing business crisis, such as extending the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) beyond March next year
ii) further funding and incentives for apprenticeships, and
iii) a crackdown on tax-evading businesses that undercut those who play by the rules.
The Minister told us that he had made the case that the Personal Care sector should benefit from the next phase of the EBRS, but ultimately, the final decision is for HM Treasury. He confirmed that it would be unlikely for there to be additional support for businesses that do not benefit from the scheme.
From his own experience in business, he is in favour of further government enforcement against tax-evading businesses. He agrees that the level of the VAT threshold is a barrier to growth. However, he also recognised that changes to the tax system are politically difficult to achieve.
He will continue the regular series of sector-wide roundtable meetings set, with the next one scheduled for the end of January when there will be further opportunities to raise these themes.
Rail strikes proceed as planned
Businesses are being advised to prepare for industrial action across the railway network. This comes after RMT members rejected the latest pay offer. It means strike actions starting today and again throughout December and into the new year remains will proceed as planned.
New rates support from the Welsh Government
All businesses in Wales will benefit from new rates support from the Welsh Government to help with the effects of rising costs. The Welsh Government has increased the discount on business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure business from 50% to 75% for 2023-24.
A package of support worth more than £460m will be announced in the Welsh Government's upcoming draft Budget over the next two financial years.
The package will boost businesses across Wales struggling to cope with the impacts of high inflation and surging energy costs.
Bill to ban single-use plastics in Wales
The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill will make it an offence to supply, or offer to supply littered and unnecessary disposable single-use plastic products to consumers in Wales.
It provides local authorities with powers to enforce the offence and includes:
- cutlery
- plates
- stirrers
- drinking straws – this product has an exemption for health needs
- plastic-stemmed cotton buds
- balloon sticks
- expanded and foamed extruded polystyrene fast-food containers
- expanded and foamed extruded polystyrene cups
- polystyrene lids for all cups and fast-food containers
- thin plastic single-use carrier bags
- all products made of oxo-degradable plastic
Recorded webinar
Watch a recorded webinar about record-keeping for the self-employed.
This webinar from HMRC is aimed at sole traders and partnerships. It is not suitable for those with limited liability partnerships or limited companies. The webinar covers the following:
- basic principles of keeping good business records
- guidance on what HMRC expects from you
- how you can get into good habits from the start
- the record-keeping apps available for mobile devices