Tomorrow, Thursday, 16 April at 10:00 am we will holding the next
Task Force webinar. 

We are delighted to announce that Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services at Hounslow Council will be joining our panellists, so if you have any questions for your Council, now is the time!

Please book here for your FREE place:
DAILY BUSINESS BRIEFING FROM GOVERNMENT'S COVID-19 PRESS CONFERENCE
(Courtesy of White Label)

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has vowed that in future budgets he will do all he can to ensure the UK remains one of the best places to start a business and one of best places for researchers to create the companies of the future.

Mr Sunak also responded to a report released today by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which says the UK economy could shrink by 35%, by saying he was confident business would “bounce back.”

He said the figure represented "just one potential scenario" but added the government had to be honest that there was "hardship ahead" and that it would not be able to protect every UK business and household.


BUSINESS SUPPORT PACKAGES: LATEST INFORMATION & UPDATES

The hub brings together key information for businesses including on funding and support, business closures, your responsibilities as an employer and managing your business during coronavirus. The hub also includes information for self-employed people and sole traders.
Funding and support
Support for the retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery sectors
Self-employed people and sole traders
Your responsibilities as an employer
Managing your business during coronavirus
Business closures
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan says Londoners neglected by coronavirus self-employed package : Sadiq Khan has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak to demand more financial help is given to the capital’s self-employed workers amidst findings that one-in-three self-employed Londoners will not receive any assistance. The London mayor’s letter, written to Sunak and business secretary Alok Sharma, claims that up to 290,000 Londoners, 12 per cent of the capital’s total workforce, are not eligible to receive anything from the scheme. Please find a copy of Sadiq’s letter here .
Covid-19 Financial Reporting advice from Bright Grahame Murray, chartered accountants
Enforcement and new charges postponed until February 2021 - London's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and
Direct Vision Standard (DVS)
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has asked Transport for London to delay the enforcement of new rules for London’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and Direct Vision Standard (DVS) for at least four months after their introduction this October. 

We recognise that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the road freight sector in ways which could make compliance with the new standards more challenging. Though companies have been preparing for the new rules for some time, with many vehicles already compliant, the pandemic has disrupted supply chains and has placed additional demands on the industry. Postponing enforcement will allow the freight industry to focus on its core operations during the pandemic.

We remain committed to working together to tackle some of London’s biggest challenges, including road danger and air quality. Tightened emissions standards for buses, coaches, lorries and specialist vehicles – in line with the tough requirements in place for the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone – will help clean up London’s air and save lives. Meanwhile the DVS will reduce danger to vulnerable road users by introducing a safety permit system for HGVs, assigning vehicles a star rating based on how much the driver can see directly through their cab window.

Although the new rules under both schemes will still legally come into force on 26 October, no charges will be payable or enforced for non-compliant vehicles under those new standards until the end of February 2021. The new date for the start of enforcement will be kept under review. You can find full details of LEZ scheme here https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone/changes-to-the-lez and the DVS here https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/deliveries-in-london/delivering-safely/direct-vision-in-heavy-goods-vehicles

(Brought to you by London Borough of Hounslow Business Services & Investment Team)
UK airlines to save millions as navigation charges deferred 

Charges for air navigation services in European airspace deferred for up to 14 months
  • charges paid by airlines for air navigation services while flying through European airspace can now be deferred for up to 14 months
  • this could save UK airlines tens of millions of pounds a month
  • the government continues to work closely with the aviation sector to support airlines affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here
Good News:
Useful link to food and drink suppliers , which are open and offering home deliveries. Businesses are able to add their details to the list: 

(information courtesy of Zoe Nixon at The Kettle Shed)
There is a local initiative, run by OWGRA (Osterley & Wyke Green Resident’s Association) and HBNWA (Hounslow Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association) to produce and provide visors to front-line medical staff in our borough, here is the information from OCW https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/visors-for-front-line-medical-staff-in-hounslow
  
Within a week almost £8K has been raised to buy 3D printers and the materials for the visors. This is all being done by a few volunteers. The printers are working 24/7 and more are being ordered so that production can be increased.

They have supplied 200 visors to West Mid last week and 300 more will be delivered in the next few days. They are also receiving requests from primary care and other sectors. Please do help if you can.
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce is the primary support, networking, and representation organisation in west London for SMEs.

We support the interests, the commercial aspirations and the investment for some 18,000 firms - from Chiswick to Feltham, Heathrow to Osterley and Brentford to Bedfont - the Chamber is the voice for all businesses located in the borough.