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The United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed a Trade and Cooperation Agreement, an Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation and an Agreement on Security Procedures for Exchanging and Protecting Classified Information.  It changes the basis of the UK’s relationship with our European neighbours from EU law to free trade and friendly cooperation.

To see the full details and read the agreements click here.

On 01 January 2021 a new immigration system came into play and EU, EEA and/or Swiss nationals will no longer be allowed to move to the UK and work without a visa.  Under the new system, all foreign nationals will be treated equally, excepting Irish citizens.

Our region has a wide range of businesses, who employ overseas workers and Norfolk Chambers would like to hear how the new UK immigration rules are impacting on your workforce and your recruitment plans for the future.

We working with partners, such as the Local Enterprise Partnerships and the local authorities, to help support the local business community to protect current and future jobs.  As a group, we need to understand the overall impact on the workforce of new immigration changes.

For example, the social care sector in our region currently employs approximately 9% EU workers – with many whose salary levels will not meet the new immigration threshold.  What work have they done with their current overseas employees to ensure the can remain in the UK?  What plans are being made and how are care homes planning to mitigate their future overseas staffing needs?   Similarly, those in the agriculture and food sectors, are they seeing a knock-on effect as a result of changes in accessing temporary workers?  Have all your EU national employees applied for and received Settled Status?

We need to hear from as weide a range as businesses as possible.  Not just the care, agriculture and food sectors.  Your feeback willhelp to ensure that the right support mechanisms are put in place locally and to ensure we can continue to lobby appropriately on your behalf when talking to the Government Ministers and the Cabinet Office about how effective their systems are in reality.

Below are a summary of the key new immigrations rules in relation to business:

EU citizens who were living in the UK on 31 December 2020

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and you were resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020, you should not apply for a visa under the points-based immigration system. You and your family should instead apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Applications are free and the deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.

Employing EU citizens in the UK from 01 January 2021

Information for employers on employing EU, EEA and Swiss citizens in the UK, covering right to work checks, the EU Settlement Scheme and the UK’s new immigration system.  Full details can be found here.

Skilled workers

The points-based system includes a route for skilled workers who have a job offer from an approved employer sponsor.  The job offered will need to be at a required skill level of RQF3 or above (equivalent to A level). The person will also need to be able to speak English and be paid the relevant salary threshold by the sponsor. This will either be the general salary threshold of £25,600 or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher.

If the role earns less than this – but no less than £20,480 – you may still be able to apply by ‘trading’ points on specific characteristics against your salary. For example, if you have a job offer in a shortage occupation or have a PhD relevant to the job.

Seasonal Workers (Temporary Workers)

A Seasonal Worker may only stay in the UK for 6 months in any 12-month period.  A person on the Seasonal Worker route is not eligible to bring their dependants to the UK and a Seasonal Worker is not a route to settlement.

There are some sectors in the UK, particularly those in agriculture and food processing that employ seasonal workers i.e. fruit picking etc.  The person must be over 18 years of age and the application cannot be made more than 3 months in advance of the proposed start date.  For full information click here.

To give your feedback, please contact Nova.fairbank@norfolkchambers.co.uk  or call 01603 729 713.

Vantage Protect, who provide the Chamber of Commerce Commercial Legal Expenses policy, have rebranded to Rhino Protect. 

Chamber Legal Expenses Insurance is included for all members as part of standard membership and covers claims such as;

1. Employee Disputes 2. Health & Safety Prosecutions 3. Tax Protection 4. Criminial Prosecution Defence 5. Statutory Licence Protection 6. Jury Service Allowance 7. Property Disputes 8. Data Protection 9. Personal Injury 10. Motor Disputes 11. Wrongful Arrest Defernce.  The limit of indemnity for any one claim is £100,000* (Jury Service Allowance £100/day, £1,000/claim).

Further information about the Policy can be found in the documents below. 

Notice to Members Policy Summary Policy Wording

Rules of Origin (RoO) are putting a spanner in the works for UK exporters wishing to take advantage of the UK’s newly negotiated trade deals with the EU and all trade deals we had with the EU that have been rolled over. The new trade agreements only allow goods of UK origin to move tariff and quota free. Many UK exporters from a variety of sectors are finding that goods they thought they could export tariff and quota free do not meet the new origin rules putting their goods at a disadvantage compared to their EU competitors. The rules define which goods can be counted as originating in the UK and therefore benefit from the negotiated agreements.

So, why do we have RoO? RoO are written into all trade agreements to ensure that reduced tariffs and other non-trade barriers covered by the agreement are only available to goods originating in the countries that have signed the agreement. If we did not have RoO then companies could just import goods into a country that has a trade deal with the country they want to trade with then just export the goods from that country even though the country that originally sent the goods does not have a deal with that country. For example, a US company wants to export to the EU, but the US and the EU do not have a trade deal. Without RoO the US company could export the goods to the UK and then on to the EU taking advantage of the UK EU trade deal.

The rules vary for each commodity code though in general if 50% of the ex works price is considered as originating in the UK then the goods would be considered to be of UK origin. For goods wholly originating on the UK this is not an issue but with modern supply chains parts come from all over the world. When we were a member of the EU then parts from EU counties counted towards the origin of the goods and in some agreements they still can as long as they processed in some way in the UK. This is called cumulation and is included in some format in most trade agreements. The issue UK businesses are having at the moment is that cumulation can only apply if the goods are processed and there is a list of minimal processes which do not change the origin of the goods. For example if Norwegian salmon is imported into the UK and then repackaged for the consumer market, then repackaging is considered a minimal process which does not confer origin, so the goods remain of Norwegian origin. If the same Norwegian salmon is imported into the UK and is smoked and then repackaged for the consumer market, then the salmon can be considered of UK origin.

These rules will have the effect of curtailing the UK from being a distribution centre for EU goods. It may make UK manufacturers look for UK suppliers to replace their existing EU suppliers, but EU manufactures face the same issue so may well replace there UK suppliers. In short RoO are an added barrier to trade that many UK exporters have not needed to consider before. Not all goods can move tariff and quota free between our trading partners.  

Following the Chancellor’s statement, changing the minimum placement criteria for small business from 03 February,  Norfolk Chambers have confirmed their commitment to continue providing exceptional support to local employers to help and guide them with their Kickstart Placements.

For each placement, the Gateway Providers, like Norfolk Chambers, receive £300 to support administrative costs, whilst employers should receive £1,500 per placement for help with setup costs and employability skills training.    Your Gateway choice will determine  what these arrangements actually look like. Some Gateways will agree with the employer to offer a level of training and thereby a slice of the £1,500.

Norfolk Chambers Gateway can confirm that the full funding is being passed across to employers for each placement and that we will continue to work with them to get their placements approved and started.

Commenting on the Norfolk Chambers Gateway, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy said: “Norfolk Chamber developed a Kickstart Gateway due to the overwhelming and continuing demand from local businesses.  Our aim was to not only support local businesses to access the Kickstart Scheme, but to ensure the quality of the placements for our young people.

“Our Gateway will help employers to complete a detailed application form, designed to ensure that the employers have the highest chance of meeting the DWP Kickstart criteria. We have also chosen to offer total flexibility to the employer by passing on the full funding, however we do ask all employers to confirm how they intend to spend these funds to ensure that all placements receive a high level of quality support and upskilling.

“Kickstart is a brilliant way to ensure young people get a boost into the world of work, whilst employers have the opportunity to grow their businesses and hopefully create more new jobs, all to the benefit of the local economy.

“We are very aware of the challenges that have faced the DWP since the Kickstart initiative commenced in September 2020, and we commend the patience of local employers, who have been understanding of these considerable delays in getting the system to operate smoothly.  The local DWP team have been amazing and we work in close collaboration with them to drive the Norfolk placements through the system.  We are confident we will start to see live placements in Norfolk happening very soon.”

For more information on accessing the Kickstart Scheme and to download your application form,  click here.

If you would like to talk to someone about cresting a Kickstart place, please contact:

Charlotte Upcraft        01603 729702             charlotte.upcraft@norfolkchambers.co.uk

Nova Fairbank             01602 729713             nova.fairbank@norfolkchambers.co.uk

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that a new President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council has been elected. Andrew Penman, Group Managing Director of Conductor Installation Services, won the majority of votes from the Chamber Council members.

Andy has over forty years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He has been immersed in the hydraulic hammer business for most of the past twenty years and brings his vitality and commitment to establishing the CIS Group of companies as the global leader in the area of conductor and Subsea pile installation.

On being elected President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, Andy said:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Council members for giving me the chance to help guide and encourage the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council as your new president. To help to achieve it’s true potential within the business community and the wider public sectors, especially our town centre, education, training and the borough commuter belts in the area.”

Andy will chair his first meeting of the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council on 15 June, where the Chamber Council will be hearing on the progress being made in the Enterprise Zone. The meeting will be hosted at Beacon Park.