Bribery Act 2010 – Quick Start Guide
The Bribery Act 2010 Quick Start Guide, will help organisations of all sizes and sectors put procedures in place.
New climate change advice to help businesses boost growth
Climate change will bring opportunities for economic growth if British businesses think now about how climate change will affect them, Environment Minister Lord Henley said today. The message came at the launch of a new interactive online tool designed by Defra and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to prepare businesses for both climate risks and opportunities.
The Climate Resilience Toolkit is a quick and simple online tool available on the Business Link website for businesses wanting to increase their resilience to the changing climate, or explore possibilities for growth by taking advantage of the opportunities climate change will bring.
The toolkit provides a tailored report for each business to help it focus on what it should be doing to prepare, such as checking the robustness of its supply chain, the threat of flooding to premises and possible changes in customer demand for products.
Government bins business red tape
Business will be freed from the burden of red tape under a package of sweeping reforms to regulation, it was announced today.
In a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses in Liverpool, Mark Prisk revealed Business Secretary Vince Cable’s plans for a range of measures to be included in the Growth Review that will allow businesses to grow, including:
- a public audit of almost 22,000 statutory instruments that are currently on the statute book; and
- a moratorium to exempt businesses with fewer than ten employees and genuine start ups from new domestic regulation for three years.
New ‘Solutions for Business’ portfolio refocused on growth
The Government is launching a new portfolio of products today to help businesses and support growth in the economy.
The new Solutions for Business (SfB) package is simpler, making it easier to understand and accessible to companies.
There are 13 products designed to help businesses identify and overcome key challenges as they grow and develop. It will target activities where a Government lead is required, such as providing access to strategic advice, helping companies reach international markets and supporting innovation.
Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk announced the 13 products at a North West Business Reception in Manchester.
Mr Prisk said:
“The new Solutions for Business portfolio has been designed to give businesses the help they need to expand and grow.
“We are moving away from centralised advice and focusing on targeted programmes. This streamlining is firmly based on developing those services which work, and which private providers do not offer. Securing economic growth is our central task and this step is part of our broad programme to free enterprise and help small firms prosper.”
April changes for Corporation Tax for associations and charities
These changes will affect third sector organisations that pay corporation tax, including clubs, societies, associations, co-operatives, charities and other unincorporated bodies.
£100m investment in skills to drive growth
Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, and Minister for Skills, John Hayes, recently launched a £50 million a year fund to help businesses develop the skills they need to drive growth.
The Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF) will deliver targeted help for employer groups to overcome barriers to growth within their sectors and industries. The funding could deliver new training to boost innovation and productivity, enable industries to set new professional standards, or support new or extended National Skills Academies.
BIS will invest up to £50m per year in partnership with businesses, whose investment alongside Government could deliver a total of up £100m a year.
Secretary of State Vince Cable said:
“This government understands that to rebalance and grow our economy, we need to tackle the skills shortages that hold companies back. Through this fund, we will support employers that take collective action to overcome these blockages to expansion.
“By putting the employer voice at the heart of the process, we will reward inventive approaches to training that deliver real help to get business moving.”