13 June 2023

Campaigning for you – wages

The NHBF put forward a comprehensive response to the Low Pay Commission consultation on National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage (NMW/NLW) rates last week.

The response outlined the impact of rising rates over the last year and gave views on future options. The response used a range of evidence and business input from the most recent State of the Industry survey for April, previous quarterly surveys over the last year, and Industry Statistics gathered using ONS (Office for National Statistics) data.

We made a case for:

  • A moratorium on any wage rate increases in the tax year 2024-25 to give businesses a solid period of recovery before further increasing costs. 
  • A commitment to delay the 2024 target to lower the NLW threshold from 23 to 21 to 2025 or even 2026 to give businesses an opportunity to recover and adapt following the previous change in the threshold from 25 to 23.
  • The target date for the National Living Wage to reach two-thirds of median earnings to be extended from 2024 to 2025 or even 2026.
  • Any future increases to the apprenticeship rate are to be balanced by government incentives to employers to encourage businesses to keep on and take on new apprentices and ensure the sector's future.

 

Wales Electric vehicle charge point boost

The Welsh Government will invest £15m to increase the number of electric vehicle charge points on Hight Streets across Wales.

High Street footfall has decreased in recent years, and the investment in charging points will likely increase footfall. The investment will also help the government's Low Carbon Delivery Plan.

Read more here. 

 

Scotland's bottle deposit scheme scrapped

Scotland's deposit return scheme for bottles and cans cannot proceed as initially planned.

Following the appointment his appointment as first minister, Humza Yousaf postponed the controversial scheme, which would have been the first of its kind in the UK and was initially scheduled to commence in August, until March 2024

Under this scheme, customers in Scotland will be required to pay an additional 20p when buying beverages in cans or bottles. Upon returning the empty containers for recycling, they will receive a refund of the deposit.

Read more here.