CEA COVID-19 Bulletin #7 – What Now, What Next, Where To?
I hope you were able to enjoy the Easter weekend – albeit probably rather different from what you wished. Please click here for the latest CEA COVID-19 bulletin with new and updated links to sources of advice and assistance. Please do send us your feedback on these bulletins. They seem to be well received, an OEM member said the bulletins really concise and makes it easy to get the latest information. Let us know what you like, and what more you would like to see included.
We start with some good news for a change …. the government has given formal approval for construction work on the HS2 rail project to begin despite lockdown measures. Construction firms involved in phase one of the high-speed rail project will need to follow social distancing rules. HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson said: “We cannot delay work on our long-term plan to level up the country.”
I lobbied our MP yesterday – Kevin Hollinrake they Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking. Kevin is working hard to push the British Business Bank (which is overseeing the CBIL scheme) to make the CBILS business loans rapidly available for various companies who urgently need them to ensure they continue trading. If you have negative experiences of applying for CBILS let me know and I will refer it to Kevin to take up directly with the British Business Bank. The APPG made a statement on the lack of available funding – read it here. Access to short-term finance is key to the stability of the many SMEs in our supply chain, which could be in jeopardy if rapid action is not taken by the banks.
As the weeks pass, the CEA are increasingly focussing on what happens next when isolating and distancing are finally at an end. We have been lobbying ministers and MPs to ensure that the Chancellor honours his infrastructure commitments made just a few short weeks ago in his Budget Speech. Rishi Sunak announced that the government is transforming regional connections through the largest ever investment in England’s motorways and major A roads. The second Road Investment Strategy will spend over £27 billion between 2020 and 2025. We will be asking you to lobby your own MPs soon to ask them to put pressure on the Chancellor to action these investments as soon as possible.
