Latest news and industry insights

From 1 May 2025, all B2B (business to business) parcels travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will need to have information submitted onto the Customs Declaration Service.

The government has announced a £20 million package that will help community land trusts, housing cooperatives and other community groups to build over 2,500 new homes in the next 10 years.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, delivered her Spring Statement last week in which she outlined the government’s economic plans, including spending decisions, tax policies and efforts to boost growth while managing public finances.

The new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates will come into force from 1 April 2025.

As part of the changes being gradually introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT), identity verification is set to become a Companies House requirement.

The Bank of England held its regular meeting to discuss interest rates last Thursday.

The Health and Safety Executive are reminding employers about their responsibilities to protect workers from the health risks that come from working with display screen equipment (DSE), including PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have plans to use a callers voice as their password in an effort to speed up phone calls.

Last week, the tax minister responsible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), James Murray, delivered a speech marking the 20th anniversary of HMRC. Previously, the UK’s tax authority was known as Inland Revenue.

A new deal for GPs has been agreed between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA).

The Future of Roads Minister, Lillian Greenwood, has confirmed that the plug-in van grant will be extended for another year.

News reported last week said that the Chancellor has put together draft plans for spending cuts to welfare and other government departments.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves met recently with major financial firms at Canary Wharf, encouraging them to invest in emerging markets to boost Britain’s economy.

The latest figures show that the government had a surplus of £15.4 billion in January. This represents the difference between the tax it receives and what it spends.

Pulpex, a sustainable packaging company, has received £43.5 million from the National Wealth Fund in exchange for an equity share of the business. The Scottish National Investment Bank is also investing £10 million with a further £8.5 million coming from existing investors.