CHAMBER NEWS


Chamber hosts productive meeting between MP and local businesses


More weight appears to be given by Government to bid-writing skills than the content of the bids themselves, was one of the key messages delivered to Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst MP at a Chamber-run event recently. It was one of the main concerns


flagged at a roundtable discussion between the Minister and 20 regional businesses, representing a broad range of sectors, organised by the Chamber. Mrs Tolhurst is a Parliamentary


Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is gathering information from SMEs, primarily about business taxation in order to lobby the Treasury, as well as to re-examine corporation tax and business rates. Among those around the table


were solicitors, consultants, manufacturers, trainers and people from the construction industry. Barriers to accessing public sector


contracts was discussed, with delegates sharing real-world experiences of the complexity, time and logistical obstacles built into the process that seemed to preclude many smaller businesses from ever


winning a contract they might otherwise be well-suited to deliver. The general view was that


protocol was often more important than content and, despite claims to the contrary, price remained the deciding factor, which disadvantaged smaller companies. On the topic of business rates, the


Minister heard that people generally felt the business rates system was outdated because it is based on the rentable value of the buildings and installed plant, which has no bearing on the value of the business. Brexit, despite being the biggest


thing to happen to British business since World War Two, barely got a mention, with the general guidance being that business was ‘just getting on with the job’ and wished politicians would do likewise. Access to finance was a topic


discussed. Growth Hubs were held to be of value. But the consensus was that SMEs needed better signposting to other avenues for finance, such as venture capital, to help overcome the cash flow problems that arise from rapid expansion. There was a discussion on


apprenticeships in engineering, with concerns raised that


‘The consensus was that SMEs needed better signposting to other avenues for finance, such as venture capital’


Kelly Tolhurst MP


metalwork was disappearing from the school curriculum. It was suggested that universities


needed to forge relationships with schools on vocational issues and that academics often lacked the ‘real-world’ experience necessary to offer sound careers advice. The Minister is particularly


interested in the role of women in industry – the Government’s


Productivity Review revealed that strong leadership and localised networking opportunities are significant aspects assisting women, together with a one-stop- shop online presence to provide them with the necessary support. Of the people around the table


at the discussion, 75% were women who worked mainly in director roles.


Employment figures are on the rise


The number of people in work in the East Midlands increased in the three months to the end of November compared to the previous quarter, according to latest figures released. Data from the Office for


National Statistics (ONS) showed employment in the region went up by 31,838 from 2,265,862 to 2,297,701 compared to the three months to the end of August. The figure was 29,066 up on a


year earlier and 12,787 higher than the same period in 2016, resulting in an employment rate of 60% - marginally up on the 59.3% recorded for the previous quarter. Because of the way the ONS calculates its figures, the


unemployment rate has also increased, by 9,149 from 101,803 in the three months to the end of August to 110,983 in the latest period. The number of people unemployed and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire also increased overall in December according to the figures released recently. Only Nottingham showed a


reduction in benefits claimants, dropping five compared with November’s figures, 505 compared with a year earlier and 105 compared with two years previously. Across the three counties, the


number of claimants increased to 38,375 from 37,270 in November, 31,595 in December 2017 and 28,230 in December 2016. Scott Knowles, Chief Executive


at the Chamber, said: “Overall, the figures are better than might be expected given the doubt and uncertainty businesses are facing at the moment and the number of reports in the latter half of last year of firms in difficulties and shutting down. “Yet again, it’s a case of the regional economy remaining


business network February 2019 31


robust in spite of the pressures inflicted upon it from things well outside its control.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72