This short survey is being run via YouGov to gather more detailed feedback from suppliers on the issues of forecasting, promotions and delay in payments. This can be completed anonymously if you wish, and all information received will be treated in confidence.
The more detail and examples provided the better the GCA will be able to understand your issues.
We are exploring different ways and times in which you can contact us.
At present our helplines are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
The survey will help us to find out if providers would like us to extend these hours or find other ways of communicating with the customer services team.
The survey closes at 5pm on 15 October 2017.
Twenty-one FTSE 100 companies have already signed up so far, including Marks & Spencer, BT and Royal Mail.
This week, construction recruitment specialist TBT Recruitment became the 5,000th organisation to become Disability Confident, pledging their commitment to attract, recruit and retain disabled workers.
This major milestone in the take up of the new scheme coincides with The Guinness Partnership becoming the 50th organisation to achieve the status of Disability Confident Leader.
The housing association has joined other employers in making a commitment to encourage and support other businesses in their network to improve support for disabled employees.
The Minister for Disabled People, Work and Health, Penny Mordaunt, says:
A fantastic range of employers from small start-ups to influential businesses like The Guinness Partnership and TBT Recruitment are making a public commitment to improve opportunities for disabled people.
If they can do it, every one of the FTSE 100 companies can take the first step by signing up to be Disability Confident too.
Disabled people make up a significant proportion of the potential workforce, and employers must ensure they don’t miss out on some of the best talent in their community.
I urge our country’s top businesses to use their power and influence to set the agenda on disability employment for companies everywhere.
Managing Director of TBT Recruitment, Scott Jeffrey, says:
We’re delighted to be the 5,000th organisation to sign up as Disability Confident. Being part of the scheme supports our commitment to providing qualified candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds to construction, rail and highways projects all over the UK.
Almost a fifth of the working age population is disabled, and the vast majority of these people will develop their condition or impairment during their working life.
Over the last four years almost 600,000 disabled people have entered the workforce. Further progress is being made through increasing the number of Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentre Plus centres and raising awareness of programmes like Disability Confident and Access to Work.
The Disability Confident scheme, launched in November 2016, provides employers with the skills, examples and confidence they need to recruit, retain and develop disabled employees.
The scheme was developed with employers, disability charities, and disabled people.
FTSE 100 companies will only be eligible to sign up to the scheme if they are British based and employ staff.
The scheme has 3 levels:
At each level employers commit to taking actions that will make a real difference to disabled employment.
To become a Disability Confident Leader, organisations must act as a champion for the scheme within their local and business communities. To reach this level organisations must also have their self-assessment validated from outside their business.
The Guinness Partnership is one of England’s largest affordable housing and care providers. They manage 65,000 homes for more than 135,000 customers.
TBT Recruitment are an experienced supplier of highly trained labour to the construction, rail and highways sectors, nationwide.
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The CMA has accepted proposals to resolve competition concerns in the merger of Solera Holdings, Inc. and Autodata Publishing Group Limited.
The companies are the 2 main suppliers of data services for mechanics across the UK. Garages and workshops use this data to help diagnose, service and repair vehicles.
The companies compete closely with each other meaning that, if the merger had gone ahead as planned, garages could see prices rise or a drop in the quality of their service.
In response to these concerns, Solera offered to sell its vehicle repair and maintenance information platforms to HaynesPro, a buyer approved in advance by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It also offered to provide transitional support to the buyer. The authority assessed Solera’s remedies offer and opened a public consultation.
Following this public consultation, and after the CMA approved the sale agreement between Solera and HaynesPro, it has now accepted Solera’s remedies proposal.
Solera and Autodata Publishing Group Limited are now free to progress their merger, which will not be referred for an in-depth (‘phase 2’) investigation.
All information relating to this investigation can be found on the case page.
Transport Minister Jesse Norman has today (21 September 2017) announced an urgent review into cycle safety, following a series of high profile incidents involving cyclists.
The review will look at whether a new offence equivalent to causing death by careless or dangerous driving should be introduced for cyclists, as well as wider improvements for cycling road safety issues.
Transport Minister Jesse Norman said:
Although the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, we are always looking to make them safer.
It’s great that cycling has become so popular in recent years but we need to make sure that our road safety rules keep pace with this change.
We already have strict laws that ensure that drivers who put people’s lives at risk are punished but, given recent cases, it is only right for us to look at whether dangerous cyclists should face the same consequences.
We’ve seen the devastation that reckless cycling and driving can cause, and this review will help safeguard both Britain’s cyclists and those who share the roads with them.
Since the government trebled spending on cycling between 2010 and 2017, there has been a huge increase in the number of cyclists on our roads.
In 2015, 2 pedestrians were killed and 96 seriously injured after being hit by a bicycle. Every year more than 100 cyclists are killed and more than 3,000 seriously injured on British roads.
The review, which will seek to improve all elements of cycle safety, will be in 2 phases.
The first phase will analyse the case for creating a new offence equivalent to causing death or serious injury by careless or dangerous driving to help protect both cyclists and pedestrians. This will address a specific issue emerging from some of the most distressing cases seen recently and will be informed by independent legal advice. The conclusions from this phase are expected to be reported in the New Year.
The second phase will be a wider consultation on road safety issues relating to cycling. It will involve a range of road safety and cycling organisations, as well as the general public and will consider different ways in which safety can be further improved between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. It will consider the rules of the road, public awareness, key safety risks and the guidance and signage for all road users.
Further details of the review will be announced shortly.