Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his Autumn Budget and Spending Review. The main points are: Chancellor began speaking at 12:34pm Employment is up and wages are rising, he said. Budget prepares for a new economy post-Covid, he said. “An economy fit for a new age of optimism.” Higher inflation was a global problem, said the...
The potential of hydrogen to transform the West of England’s economy, from its transport to the way its homes are heated, is to be explored by a new consortium of businesses and universities. The group, which includes many of the region’s largest firms such as Airbus and EDF, was launched at an event at...
The South West’s key sectors could suffer irreparable damage unless the government starts to tackle the shortage of workers by easing EU visa restrictions, the region’s business leaders today warned. But even providing temporary visas for jobs such as drivers and food workers would only be a short-term measure and ministers must also come...
Outsourcing group Capita is to sell its Secure Solutions and Services business to international IT group NEC in a deal expected to be worth around £62m. Chippenham-headquartered Secure Solutions and Services (SSS) supplies IT to the police, criminal justice, emergency services and critical responder sectors across the world. These range from control room and...
Directors in the Swindon area are being invited to enter the top regional awards scheme recognising excellence and enterprise in the boardroom. The annual Institute of Directors’ Director of the Year Awards seek to champion outstanding leaders and entrepreneurs in both the public and private sectors. Award nominations are open to anyone working at director level in...
The government’s long-awaited strategy for the UK’s burgeoning hydrogen sector – which it says could create thousands of sustainable jobs and unlock billions of pounds of investment – has been welcomed by the region’s largest business group. Business West, which runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, believes the West of England can be a...
Nearly 70% of South West firms see climate change as a core business factor for them, according to a landmark survey of companies’ attitudes to the key issue – but, alarmingly, 21% have so far taken no action despite mounting concern over its impact. Just under half (46%) of the businesses that consider climate...
The South West’s tech businesses have bounced back strongly from the pandemic, according to a new survey, with more than half saying they are now performing better than their pre-Covid levels. Some 96% of tech firm leaders, including founders and directors, said they were optimistic about the future with high levels of confidence for...
R3, the restructuring and insolvency trade body, has launched a free guide for company directors on how to spot signs of financial distress, options open to them to resolve it and where to get expert advice. Called Get Back to Business: A guide to dealing with corporate financial distress, it is available to download from www.backtobusinessuk.com The guide: ...
Swindon firms that have imported goods from countries in the EU this year are being urged to complete their full declarations or face a possible fine or prosecution as the final deadline approaches. Regional business group Business West, which is authorised by HMRC to process supplementary customs declarations, said companies needed to submit their...
