While it will be a relief to some businesses in England that select critical workers can be exempt from self-isolation, it will leave many more still facing critical staff shortages and lost revenue as the number of people being asked to isolate remains high.
Responding to the announcement of the new UK approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “Businesses in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland need durable, workable, negotiated solutions on compliance with the Protocol to ensure the continued two-way flow of goods East-West and North-South. The UK Government and EU need to work together to find solutions which work for business."
The UK government should seek to expand trade opportunities for UK businesses in the switch to greener technologies and practices.
Hard-pressed companies will need further support into next year as they adjust to this new phase of the biggest change in trading terms with the rest of Europe for half a century.
The British Chambers of Commerce’s Trade Confidence Outlook for Q2, released today, has shown that exporters still face significant issues after a historically weak Q1. The survey of more than 2,800 UK exporters revealed that the percentage of firms reporting increased export sales had risen to 27%, a 7-point rise from the previous quarter.
BCC says it is great news that Accredited Chambers will be leading all eight of the Department for Education's pilot schemes to develop local skills training provision.
Commenting on ONS Labour Market statistics for July 2021 published today, BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said: “The significant rise in payroll employment suggests that UK jobs market continued to improve as the economy gradually reopened.
It is important that everyone understands that July 19 will not see face coverings and hand sanitiser disappearing from all workplaces, businesses and venues.
Firms across England will be sighing with relief to hear the Health Secretary has finally given the green-light to reopening. But they still don’t have the full picture they desperately need to properly plan for unlocking.
While we are seeing a modest pick-up in demand for UK goods in the last month as economies reopen, the overall climate remains fragile