Policy and representation

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The BCC has a high-profile policy and lobbying team that represent the interests of our members in Westminster, Whitehall and in Brussels. They work with us and other accredited chambers around the country, to ensure that the interests of businesses are properly represented when national decision-makers influence policy decisions that impacts business at a local level.

We also represent our members’ business interests through our collaborative approach of working with local Members of Parliament, County and Borough Councils and local organisations such as the Herts LEP and by being a part of the Herts Growth Hub Consortium.

We are supported in our representational work by business led advisory and working groups drawn from the businesses around the county and participate in many local and regional partnerships with the single aim of creating the best possible economic environment for Hertfordshire's businesses.

All of our members are invited to participate in the highly regarded British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) on economic trends ensuring that local information is fed into national statistics and that local business issues are highlighted at national level.

We are committed to ensuring that members' concerns are raised with the appropriate person or organisation fulfilling its role as the voice of the business community in Hertfordshire.

As a business-owned and business-led body, the Chamber is the voice of the business community in Hertfordshire and whether at local, regional, national or international level has the role and responsibility to lobby and voice business concerns. Contact is made with Members of Parliament, MEP’s, the Local Economic Partnership, County Council and District Councils, utilities and others on behalf of business sectors or individual member companies.

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Powered by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the Growth Hub Consortium is delivered by a consortium of partners to provide a central point of access for businesses in the county to access support and guidance to enable them to grow, scale and innovate, strengthening the Hertfordshire economy.

It is part of a network of 38 Local Enterprise Partnership-led Growth Hubs across England integrating national and local business support. Publicly funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with some accessing European Regional Development Funds, Growth Hubs provide locally tailored support and advice to direct businesses to the most appropriate organisations to assist with their specific business needs.

The Hertfordshire Growth Hub consortium is led by business support specialists Exemplas, with the University of Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Visit hertsgrowthhub.com

The Growth Hub is funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

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The British Chambers of Commerce and the accredited Chamber Network run Britain's most influential private business survey. The Quarterly Economic Survey is the largest and most representative independent business survey of its kind in the UK. The QES closely watched by policymakers such as the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Office of Budget Responsibility, and also attracts a significant amount of media attention.

What makes the QES unique? Sample size – The survey is aggregated from businesses sourced by the Chamber of Commerce network from across the UK. Completed by over 6,000 businesses each quarter, it is one of the UK’s largest and most representative private business surveys.

Multi-sector – Covers both the manufacturing sector (25% of respondents) and services sector (75%). A high proportion of respondents from both sectors are exporters.

Company size – The survey covers businesses of all sizes, with the vast majority of respondents falling in to the SME category of under 250 employees.

Timeliness – Each quarter, the QES is made available before official statistics (such as GDP growth), and so provides an up to the minute picture of business sentiment.

We will email you the surveys on a quarterly basis, please subscribe to our mailing list to receive the link.

+ Trade support

The UK government has announced that tariffs on imports of goods from Ukraine will be lowered to zero. The EU also confirmed this week zero-tariff, zero-quota access to Ukrainian imports for one year.

Further series of sanctions announced

The UK government announced a further series of sanctions against Russia and Belarus on 6 April, designed to further restrict sources of finance or investment to fund the war in Ukraine. This was joined by proposals by the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority to alter tariff rate quotas on steel imports to reflect the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian iron and steel from imports to the UK.

Key additional measures affecting UK businesses from April 2022:

• Ending imports of Russian and Belarusian iron and steel products.
• Ban on all new outward financial investment to Russia.
• Preventing exports of oil refining equipment and catalysts from the UK to Russia.
• New restrictions on Russia sourcing quantum and other advanced technologies.
• Asset freezes against Sherbank and Credit Bank of Moscow.
• Ceasing imports of Russian gas as soon as possible after end of 2022.
• Trade Remedies Authority consulting on amendment of tariff rate quotas on steel imports to the UK to provide additional import volumes to other countries under the TRQs to make up the imports gap.

On exports, further restrictions on exporting luxury goods to Russia are being introduced. Covering luxury cars, jewellery and works of art. This will come into force "shortly".

On imports, from 25 March 2022 additional tariffs of 35% are being levied on a wide range of Russian and Belarusian goods, including vodka, cement, fertilisers, tyres, iron and steel and also commodities such as copper, wood, aluminium, silver and lead. These additional tariffs apply on CDS and CHIEF.

Q&A on trade with Ukraine, Russia and Belarus

The BCC team has put together a Q&A on trade with Ukraine, Russia and Belarus which may be useful for Chambers and members. This will be updated as required to reflect any new guidance.

+ Chamber Customs

ChamberCustoms is offering free export declarations for groups collecting and transporting humanitarian aid out of the UK. See further information here.

A customs easement is now in place making it easier to move aid and donations to help the people of Ukraine.

+ Export Support Service

For advice contact the free-to-use Export Support Service (ESS) or ESS helpline 0300 303 8955 which can be used by individuals, businesses or charities.

+ Travel advice

New FCDO advice published on 8 April

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to the whole of Russia due to the lack of available flight options to return to the UK, and the increased volatility in the Russian economy.

If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes.

+ Humanitarian support

Homes for Ukraine - sponsorship of Ukrainian refugees

Key elements of the scheme:

• Individuals, charities and businesses can sponsor named refugees who fill out visa applications to stay in accommodation in the UK provided by the sponsor.
• Expectation is that accommodation is provided for at least 6 months.
• Applies to all persons who were Ukrainian nationals or immediate family members of Ukrainian nationals and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.
• Individuals may receive £350 per month for providing the accommodation to sponsored persons.
• Devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to seek to become super-sponsors and provide housing and other services themselves to thousands of refugees. Sponsored persons will have full access to benefits, healthcare, employment support, education, English language tuition and to work in the UK labour market.
• Residency rights and rights to work last for up to 3 years.
• Visa applications under the scheme go live on Friday 18 March.

ENGLAND: Guidance from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to councils in England on the operation of the Homes for Ukraine scheme available here.

WALES: Click here to see the announcement from the Welsh Government on acting as a super sponsor for people coming to Wales under the HFU scheme. See guidance for councils in Wales here.

NORTHERN IRELAND: Click here to read a Q&A from the Northern Ireland Executive.

SCOTLAND: See guidance here from the Scottish Government to Scottish councils on the scheme and the Scottish Government's role.

Export Support Service

For advice about transporting humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees, contact the free-to-use Export Support Service (ESS) or ESS helpline 0300 303 8955 which can be used by individuals, businesses or charities.

Useful links below:

Ukraine: what you can do to helpHomes for Ukraine Scheme (UK)Houses for Ukraine (EU scheme)

+ Support for employees and workers

Offer work to people who have come to the UK from Ukraine.

Click here for guidance on how employers will be able to offer work to Ukrainian nationals coming to the UK.

Immigration information for Ukrainians in the UK, British nationals and their family members - available here.

The BCC has been working hard to assess how the war in Ukraine will impact Chambers and their member businesses in the coming weeks and months. As part of this work, we asked London Chamber member, Fragomen – a law firm specialising in immigration, to consider how employers can support staff and their families.

+ Cyber security advice

Following Russia’s further violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the National Cyber Security Centre has called on organisations in the UK to bolster their online defences.

The NCSC has urged organisations to follow its guidance on steps to take when the cyber threat is heightened.

While the NCSC is not aware of any current specific threats to UK organisations in relation to events in and around Ukraine, there has been an historical pattern of cyber attacks on Ukraine with international consequences.

The guidance encourages organisations to follow actionable steps that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack. Businesses can also follow the NCSC’s LinkedIn and Twitter for further updates. More information on cyber security can be found below:

• CNI, large orgs and public sector - NCSC alert
• SMEs - Small business guide
• Microbusinesses, sole traders - Cyber Action plan
• Citizens - Cyber Aware