News and Blogs

First Minister Mark Drakeford will announce a 4-week pause to the coronavirus rules on Friday 18 June 2021 to help boost protection against the new delta variant. The Welsh Government reviewed the public health situation this week, mid-way through the current three-week regulations cycle, after announcing a phased move into alert level one. The rules around larger outdoor activities and events were relaxed on 7 June 2021. Although there will be no substantive changes to...

The UK Business Climate Hub is a campaign that asks UK small businesses of up to 250 employees to join the fight against climate change by committing to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. When you commit, you’ll get the tools to help you understand your emissions, how to tackle them, and how to share what you’re doing with your customers and your community. For further information visit the UK Business Climate Hub website.

The Welsh Government has launched the Town Centre Entrepreneurship Fund as a pilot programme to provide financial assistance for entrepreneurs and businesses who are looking to start and grow a business in one of four town centres across North Wales – Bangor, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Wrexham. This fund will be available as a discretionary grant of between £2,500 - £10,000 per business to support with the revenue costs associated with starting up in or...

Charitable organisations including housing associations and community interest companies (CIC's) can apply for funding of up to £10,000 for projects that will help to educate inexperienced landlords about the obligations of being a private landlord and projects which will help educate tenants about their rights and responsibilities. The funding is being made available through the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) Charitable Foundation and the closing date for applications is 5pm on 27 August 2021. The Foundation...

In March 2021, the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Defence and Security Industrial Strategy was presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Defence. The strategy will see industry, government and academia working ever closer together to drive research, enhance investment and promote innovation. The MOD will invest more than £85 billion over the next four years in defence equipment and support, and are determined to deliver not just for the Armed Forces but for...

The Competition and Marketing Authority (CMA) has set out its views on the types of misleading environmental claims made about products that could break the law and is seeking views on draft guidance for businesses about ‘green’ claims. This is based on a careful review of how these claims are being made and how people respond to them. It explains the best way for businesses to communicate their green credentials, while reducing the risk of...

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has expanded its suite of talking toolkits to include NHS and social care sector specific versions. There are separate toolkits for England, Scotland and Wales, including a Welsh language version and have been developed with input from the sector. Each toolkit is designed to help managers and others start the potentially difficult conversations with their employees that begin the process for preventing and managing work-related stress. The toolkits are...

HMRC publishes the Employer Bulletin 6 times a year, giving employers and agents the latest information on topics and issues that may affect them. June’s bulletin covers updates and information on: COVID-19 PAYE tax and changes to guidance customer support The employer bulletin is only available online. You can register for HMRC’s employer email alert service to receive emails from HMRC which tell you when the latest issue is available. For further information visit GOV.UK.

Businesses in the South Wales Valleys have faced a number of significant challenges over the past 24 months – the impacts of severe flooding, uncertainty around Britain leaving the EU, increased cyber-crime and of course the COVID pandemic. Ensuring business resilience is more important than ever, and continuity planning is something every business should be considering. At this conference, delegates will hear from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Insurance Service about how to develop...

There are changes to Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) from July 2021. The UK Government will continue to pay 80% of your furloughed employees' usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, to the end of June 2021. In July, CJRS grants will cover 70% of employees' usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,187.50. In August and September, this will then reduce...