Delivering for Greater Birmingham: GBCC Policy guide 2014

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The central goal of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) is to help create a thriving environment for businesses so that the economy of Greater Birmingham can prosper.

One of the key ways that GBCC measures the opinions of its members is through the Quarterly Economic Survey (QES). This measures a wide range of indicators and attitudes towards policy areas on a quarterly basis. The QES is the region‟s biggest business survey and regularly receives over 300 responses from businesses across the Greater Birmingham area.

QES is used not only as an economic indicator but as a powerful lobbying tool, ensuring that policymakers are aware of the issues facing business.

GBCC continues to support businesses by facilitating their access to various grants.

GBCC are working hard to ensure business views on Economic Policy are represented by:  Hosting events which bring policymakers together with members to discuss the key issues facing business.  Lobbying Government on issues such as business rates, access to finance, and inward investment.  Working with key stakeholders in the public sector such as Birmingham City Council and the GBS LEP to ensure that businesses views are represented in local economic planning.  Signposting businesses to existing business support initiatives and delivering business development programs in-house, such as UKTI.

Access to finance is a consistently major concern for SMEs. Following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, paralysis in the banking sector affected borrowers across many sectors of society – from businesses to mortgage borrowers. Despite the highly developed nature of the UK‟s financial markets many SMEs (firms with 0-249 employees) are still unable to obtain the finance they need. In 2012, the British Chambers of Commerce published the Case for a British Business Bank, which argued that the state-backed bank needed to be established to avoid market failures and act as an umbrella organisation for all existing government lending and equity schemes.

The Chambers support the British Business Bank initiative but would urge that the bank is sufficiently capitalised to help bridge the funding gap for SMEs. The Chambers support the British Chambers‟ recommendation that the British Business Bank acts as an umbrella, bringing together access to all existing government schemes in this area.

As well as lobbying, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce supports businesses looking to access finance by facilitating access to a number of grants and development programmes. Chamber staff are currently supporting businesses through the application processes of the following programmes: The Business Development Programme: Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Business Development Programme provides comprehensive business support to existing SMEs in the GBS LEP area. Existing businesses from certain sectors can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £15,000 against eligible project costs.

The Growth Vouchers Programme: The UK Government Growth Vouchers Programme aims to help small businesses access advice. Qualifying businesses are randomly chosen to get a voucher of up to £2,000 match funding to finance specialist business support.

They also provide advice and signposting on: Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme: Green Bridge provides grant support of £20,000 to £100,000 to support existing West Midlands SME supply chain companies grow and diversity into the green sector. This initiative is funded by the Regional Growth Fund and is being delivered in partnership with the six Local Enterprise Partnerships across the West Midlands region.

The Business Innovation Programme A Birmingham City Council, GBS LEP and ERDF programme that aims to stimulate innovation within SMEs with grants of between £10,000 and £30,000 available to support SMEs by funding a portion of eligible project costs.

If you would like more information on these initiatives contact Mandy Canny, Director of Membership, on M.Canny@Birmingham-Chamber.com.

One of the key barriers to growth in Greater Birmingham is input taxation, i.e. taxation levied on businesses regardless of profit. Business Rates, taxes levied on non-domestic properties such as businesses and warehouses, are examples of this.

They are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of a property by a multiplier set by government. Different types of property have a different rateable value (e.g.

Retail zones, storage, staff rooms).

Despite the recession, they have continued to rise annually in line with RPI inflation.

Business rates are usually reviewed every five years. The Government recently postponed the next business rates review until 2017. This means that many businesses are paying business rates on properties based on their value at the time of the last rates review: 2008. Naturally, with the financial crisis and recession, property prices have changed significantly since then. In places such as central London rents and commercial property values have continued to increase a-pace. In most areas of the North and Midlands they have decreased. This has created an unnatural incentive for businesses to set up, move to and expand in areas where business rates are artificially low and move away from those that are artificially high.

The Chambers are calling on Government to review business rates policy. In December 2013, GBCC wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP ahead of the Autumn Statement to argue that calculating business rates based on pre-recession property levels and linking increases to the RPI is both unscientific and inequitable given the current property market.

In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced the introduction of a 2% cap on inflation increases in business rates in 2014-15, a continuation of Small Business Rate Relief in 2014-15, and a ÂŁ1,000 business rates discount for retail premises, pubs and restaurants.

Business rates go towards paying for local services. As of April 2013 local authorities are able to retain just under 50% of the value of business rates collected in their area. The remainder is sent to central government where it is pooled and redistributed to local authorities as a “top-up� fund based on a set formula. Whilst we welcome the increased discretion and flexibility allowing local authorities to retain just under 50% of business rates provides, we believe that more needs to be done to ensure that revenue from business rates is spent in ways that are best for local businesses.

The Chambers are calling for increased consultation and communication between local authorities and businesses in Birmingham to make sure business rates help pay for business needs.

Exports from West Midlands firms have grown significantly in the past decade, with the total value of exports doubling from around £13.6bn in 2009 to over £28.8bn in 2012 (graph 1). A large proportion of these exports are made up of machinery and transport. Graph 2 shows that since 2012, an increasing number of Greater Birmingham manufacturers are reporting improved export sales.

The Chamber is the city‟s only international trade organisation, delivering UKTI and Chamber international trade and development services.

The UKTI International Trade offering enables us to help companies with all aspects of trading overseas, including help with researching markets, exploring overseas joint ventures, visiting overseas markets and exhibitions, export documentation, language and translation services, export training and specific support from experts with detailed knowledge of different markets and sectors.

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£10 The Chamber also hosts other international trade £0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 bodies including the British American Business Council (BABC) and the India-Pakistan Trade Unit, as well as the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and the Europe Direct Information Centre (EDIC) which provide free advice and immediate access to live business and technology partnering opportunities in new markets for SMEs.

The Chambers are calling on policymakers and regulators to make exporting as easy for firms as possible. GBCC surveys have shown that businesses are often unaware of the services UKTI offer to help them to export and this uncertainty has been a barrier to exporting. Transport connectivity is also a key issue. An HS2-HS1 link will enable greater access to European markets, and an expanded runway at Birmingham Airport will allow local firms to tap into newly-emerged markets in Asia and South America. |

Having ready access to a work force with the right skills and qualifications for their business is crucial to Chamber members.

However, despite high levels of unemployment in the region, many employers report difficulties finding appropriate applicants to fill their vacancies.

Our most recent Quarterly Economic Survey shows that this problem is most prevalent amongst manufacturers recruiting for skilled roles and services firms recruiting for managerial positions.

Many employers also express dissatisfaction with the „work readiness‟ of school leavers, citing soft, organisational and interpersonal skills as problematic. Concerns have also been raised about the quality of careers education and need for a greater emphasis on STEM subjects in the National Curriculum.

Nationally, British Chambers of Commerce research has found employers are concerned that Government Unemployment schemes do not adequately reflect the needs of businesses and the local economy.

Greater Birmingham suffers from low qualifications attainment across the population and high unemployment compared to national averages. This is a long-term structural problem that cannot be solved overnight.

However, there are numerous actions educational establishments, Government and businesses can undertake to improve the situation.

GBCC are working hard to ensure business views are represented in the Skills agenda by:  Representing local businesses on the Birmingham Employment and Skills Board, directly influencing GBS LEP strategy.  Supporting and raising awareness of exceptional locally based initiatives such as BSEEN, Graduate Advantage, Young Talent for Business, The Birmingham Baccalaureate and The Skills Show.  Lobbying Government, engaging key stakeholders and campaigning on behalf of businesses on the issues that matter to them.

Far too many Chamber members report challenges finding young people with the right skills, attitude and qualifications to fill apprenticeships and entry level positions. Whilst Universities are increasingly measured and judged by potential students on the employability and destinations of their graduates, there is no such universal measure for schools and colleges and too little emphasis is placed on getting their young people “work ready�.

Amongst Chamber members and patrons there are a few excellent examples of schools and colleges who are already making great leaps in the right direction. However, across the sector as a whole we do still need to see a cultural shift from focusing on the narrow perimeters of qualifications league tables to ensuring the wider employability and work readiness of pupils.

To facilitate this, the Chambers are calling for reform to Ofsted inspection criteria to place a greater emphasis on destinations of school leavers and levels of engagement with local businesses.

Chamber members have also raised concerns about the quality of careers education in schools and lack of emphasis on STEM subjects and careers. Under the reforms introduced in the Education Act 2011 schools are no longer required to use a nationally procured careers education service. Instead each institution must commission it as they see fit. This has led to patchy and variable performance across the sector with some schools and colleges offering excellent services but far too many offering little or substandard advice.

The Chambers are calling on schools and colleges to engage with local businesses (and businesses to engage with them) on delivering careers advice, giving young people access to real professionals and insight into the career options available in the local economy. The Chambers are calling on Government to introduce a national minimum standard of careers advice in schools and colleges.

Nationally, there remains a significant shortage of people leaving education trained in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM subjects). With the renaissance of manufacturing, need for top quality R&D and booming IT and computing industries it is essential that we are producing school leavers and graduates with the skills and qualifications needed to enter and succeed in these industries if we wish to remain a globally competitive economy.

The Chambers are calling on schools and colleges to promote the importance of, and wide array of career opportunities within, STEM subjects and careers. The Chambers are calling on Government to support this by ensuring post-16 funding arrangements and national programmes reflect the importance of STEM subjects to the national economy.

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Every world class economy needs to offer its young people vocational as well as academic routes to qualifications and employment. We are very pleased with the recent resurgence of apprenticeships and believe that they offer many young people opportunities and ways in to careers that may otherwise not have been open to them. They give employers greater control over the skills and qualifications developed by the next generation of their workforce.

However we are concerned about the impact of the recent reforms to funding for apprentices.

Previously, funding from Government was paid directly to training providers for training and qualifications offered to apprentices. Under these reforms this funding is allocated to the business hiring an apprentice so that they can commission training as they see fit. Whilst this offers some benefits by giving employers greater control over the content of their apprentices‟ training, it also presents a risk that many smaller employers will be put off offering apprenticeships due to the additional administration involved.

The Chambers are calling on Government to review these changes and give employers the choice between direct funding for apprenticeships through PAYE tax breaks and directing funding to their chosen training provider. In both cases there must be transparency about the cost of each apprenticeship and a properly functioning market between competing providers.

The West Midlands has the third highest unemployment rate in the UK and Birmingham‟s Unemployment Benefit Count stands at 9.2%, far above the national average of 3.9% (Jan, 2014). This is a long term issue, with unusually high regional unemployment and Unemployment Benefit Counts in Birmingham dating back to before the millennium.

However, the 2008 recession, subsequent slow economic growth and substantial cuts to public sector jobs, led to a significant increase in unemployment and benefits claimants as redundancies increased and new jobs decreased. As we return to sustained economic growth, it is important to ensure that those who remain unemployed are given every opportunity to return to the workforce to avoid leaving a “lost generation”.

Unfortunately, Chamber members often report problems with Government unemployment programmes, either due to preconceptions about the quality of the candidates taking part or concerns that the skills they are being taught do not serve the needs of the local economy.

The Chambers are challenging businesses to examine their preconceptions and stereotypes about participants of Government unemployment programmes and engage with programmes such as those delivered by the Chambers‟ Business Venture Team.

The Chambers are calling on Government to reform their programmes for the unemployed to ensure they reflect the needs of local businesses.

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Transport infrastructure is central to regional development. An efficient transport system can yield many direct and indirect benefits to the local economy by opening up untapped markets, enabling the free flow of workers across the region, and enhancing productivity.

Many businesses are increasingly reliant on a variety of different transport modes. In 2013, the Office of Rail Regulation forecast that rail passenger demand rose by 14% in the previous year.

According to ATOC, between 2008 and 2012, the West Midlands experienced among the largest growth in passenger rail journeys.

Birmingham and Coventry saw 22% and 30% growth, respectively.

However, the allocation on transport spend does not reflect this. In 201011, London received 34% of total public expenditure on transport, compared to 7% for the West Midlands.

GBCC supports the rebalancing of the UK economy by first promoting a more equitable distribution of Government infrastructure spending across the country, beginning with key projects such as HS2.

Efficient transport and infrastructure is crucial to business. The Chambers are working hard to ensure that business views are represented in this agenda by:

 Supporting the development of a cross-regional transport body to enable joined-up thinking between regions on key strategic transport issues, and working with other West Midlands Chambers  Lobbying key rail bodies such as the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) and Network Rail for an expansion on the passenger seat allocations across the region.  Campaigning for a regional hub airport strategy to enable local firms to export more freely  Lobbying for the development of specific rail lines such as the electrification of the Chase Line  Campaigning for the construction of HS2 as a means of regenerating the city and alleviating future capacity issues on the West Coast Mainline.

GBCC organises and delivers the GBS LEP Business Transport Group.

This group enables Greater Birmingham businesses to feed into the decision making structure of the LEP on strategic transport issues.

Transport investment from Central Government is heavily skewed towards London. Many of the key infrastructure projects of the last two decades have been based in London, including Cross Rail, HS1 and the Jubilee line extension. Consequently, the rest of the country often misses out.

The key issue in transport governance in the West Midlands is the disparate nature of existing structures. Across the West Midlands region, there are thirty Local Authorities and six LEPs each with their own Strategic Economic Plans.

In September 2013, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce partnered with the Black Country Chamber to produce a discussion paper entitled „Making the Economic Case for Transport Investment‟. In the paper, we argued that the key to success is twofold: 1) wider economic geographies are more successful in attracting Treasury funding; 2) the case for transport needs to be made from an economic point of view.

The paper looked at two examples of major transport projects that received large funding commitments from the Chancellor of the Exchequer: the Northern Hub, a series of rail improvements across Northern England which attracted over £200million, and East West Rail, a planned route to link Oxford with Norwich which attracted £280million.

To begin to attract wider Treasury funding, the Chambers are calling for the formation of a cross-regional transport body to assess the effect of transport on the regional economy and to produce a range of conditional outputs. The Chamber also encourages the city to explore other innovative funding models in addition to TIF and PFI.

Not long after entering Government, the Coalition introduced „Debt Caps‟ for local authorities.

Most local authorities across England have seen their Central Government grants cut significantly under Government austerity policies.

Birmingham City Council has been particularly hard hit with a 14% reduction in Central Government grants alongside equal pay settlements, a growing population, rising demand for services and other unavoidable costs.

This has amounted to BCC predicting that they will need to make cuts of approximately £615 million by 2016/17 in order to balance their books. At the same time, Birmingham is facing a serious shortage of affordable and social housing and increasing pressures on existing public authority owned housing stock.

Previously, local authorities have been able to fund investment in housing by leveraging debt against their existing housing stock. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Birmingham has reached the upper limit of its debt cap, the City Council is currently unable to access the additional finance it needs to invest significantly in local housing.

The Chambers are calling on Government to raise the local authority debt cap to allow public authorities to make the most of their assets and invest in much needed housing. |

High Speed 2 is a proposed rail line to link Birmingham to London (phase one), Manchester, and Leeds (phase two). The project has the capacity to not only link 8 out of 10 of Britain‟s largest cities, but provide regional development in each of them. Examples of regeneration enabled through high speed rail include Lille, Lyon, and St. Pancras.

Centro estimate that HS2 Y-Network (connecting Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester) will generate a £4bn increase in economic output every year, over 50,000 additional jobs, and an average GVA increase of £680 per worker. With a comprehensive local connectivity package of improvements to integrate HS2 with the local network, output could see a further £2.4bn increase, with 28,000 additional jobs, and an additional GVA increase of £400 per worker.

Each quarter, GBCC publishes the HS2 Business Barometer to measure the attitudes of its members towards the project. In Q4 2013, 78% of respondents said the project would have a „positive economic impact‟ on the West Midlands. This is a seven per cent increase from Q3 2013. Breaking down this figure, 45 per cent of firms said it would have a „significant positive impact‟ and 33 per cent said it would have a „slight positive impact‟ Seventy-eight per cent of firms also believed that the completed Y-network to Manchester and Leeds would have a significant positive impact on the region, up from 72 per cent the previous quarter. Small businesses with 1-19 employees are also just as likely to view HS2 as economically positive (77 per cent).

The Chambers are working with regional stakeholders to ensure that that region develops a comprehensive connectivity package to link HS2 in to existing modes of transport. The Chambers are also working with Birmingham City Council and the HS2 Growth Task Force to up-skill local workers ahead of the construction and operation phases, and have sought to make local firms aware of procurement opportunities.

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The catchment area for Birmingham Airport is home to half a million businesses (approximately 25% of British business) and has the largest share of manufacturing activity of all airport catchment areas. Establishing wider global connectivity to the West Midlands is essential to grow regional exports. As such, the extension of Birmingham Airportâ€&#x;s runway, due to open in 2014, will be crucial in delivering longer haul flights to emerging markets such as China and South East Asia.

As the private sector lead, the Chambers were instrumental in the Regional Growth Fund bid to extend the runway of Birmingham Airport and to improve the A45 corridor, delivered in partnership with Birmingham City Council, Solihull MBC, and Centro.

In 2012, the Government launched the Airports Commission, chaired by the economist Sir Howard Davies, in order to consider how the UK can both maximise its current runway capacity and maintain its position as an international hub.

The Chambers believe that UK aviation policy should reflect the growing economic significance of the Core Cities. The Chambers have actively campaigned for the Airports Commission to view the regional hub airport strategy as a means of achieving a rebalancing of the UK economy.

In May 2013, members of the GBCC identified regulation and associated red tape as the second largest barrier to growth and one of their top priorities for the Chamber‟s advocacy and campaign work.

National surveys reconfirm the importance business places on regulation. A British Chambers of Commerce survey showed that 62% of businesses see regulation as a key issue, presenting a burden that around 50% of businesses view as increasing. Smaller businesses appear to be disproportionately affected, with the Forum for Private Business calculating that they incur an estimated £9.3 billion of internal costs a year.

According to the World Economic Forum‟s Global Competitiveness Report, 2013-14, the UK ranks 45th out of 148 countries in terms of the burden of government regulation (with 1st being the most burdensome and 148th being the least). Too many Chamber members continue to find unnecessary regulation a barrier preventing them from creating jobs and growth.

The Chambers recognise the need for proportionate regulation, but it must be well targeted, risk-based and business friendly. We are working hard to ensure that regulation and red-tape is as efficiently implemented as possible.

GBCC acts as the secretariat for the GBS LEP Better Business for All Regulation Group, which seeks to develop the local regulatory system in a way which both protects the public and supports business growth. The group includes senior representatives from key regulatory organisations, such as the FSA and HMRC. Through this group, the Chambers aim to help share best practice among regulatory bodies, and to directly link regulators to businesses through field days and workshops.

At the European level, the Chambers continue to campaign for better European regulation decision-making and for the end of the damaging practice of „gold-plating‟ of EU legislation when transposed into British law.

When applied effectively, regulation can be a good for business: it keeps employers, employees and customers safe from potentially dangerous supplies, goods, working and living conditions.

However, the regulatory environment in the UK remains overwhelmed with burdensome, unnecessary and ill thought through regulations that are preventing people from starting and growing businesses.

In the Greater Birmingham area, the majority of smaller businesses repeatedly find regulation a barrier to growth. In surveys conducted by the Chambers across the GBS LEP area, over half of small businesses feel that regulation inhibits the growth of their business, with the majority of these businesses attributing this to the way regulations are implemented. Half of respondents also reported that they felt inhibited in seeking advice from regulators due a fear of the consequences.

The Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) was created in 2012 by BIS to provide advice to regulators and stakeholders to ensure regulation is clear, proportionate and effective. The key initiative of the BRDO is Primary Authority, which seeks to allow businesses to have one local authority as their point of contact. In 2014, this program will be expanded to include more businesses and cover more areas of regulation.

The Chambers are working in conjunction with Birmingham City Council, the BRDO and the GBS LEP to help the region become „pathfinders‟ for best practice in regulation, based on existing good practice and increased interaction with business. The Chambers are calling on regulatory bodies to ensure that regulators are well-equipped to signpost business to appropriate avenues of support.

With an annual spend of £230bn across the sector; public procurement has the potential to create a substantial positive impact on growth and employment opportunities.

However, whether it‟s too much red tape or a lack of awareness, many businesses report barriers to entry and problems engaging with public sector procurement activities. Chamber research revealed that whilst only 35% of members are currently engaging with public sector procurement, 53% are interested in tendering for contacts in the future. This represents a wealth of untapped potential.

Ensuring that a significant proportion of local public authority contracts go to local businesses would generate a significant boost to the local economy. As a result, it is crucial that more is done to improve the awareness, confidence and capacity of local businesses to get them ready to tender.

The Chambers are calling on public authorities to work with Chambers of Commerce to do three things: 1) engage more businesses in tendering for contacts, 2) find innovative ways to support them through the procurement process and 3) reflect on their procurement procedures, cutting down on red tape and making sure they are accessible to SMEs. |

Problems with regulation can arise on three levels; conception, transposition and enforcement. Problematic EU regulations generally arise at the „conception‟ level.

Many EU regulations, such as those that created and maintain the Single Market, have a real, positive impact on businesses. However, there are still far too many flawed and burdensome EU regulations.

Chamber members have raised concerns with EU regulations in areas as diverse public procurement thresholds, health and safety, environmental impact assessments, food labelling and transporting small amounts of waste. In each of these instances, proposals that were intended to create a better working, living and consumer environment have ended up being unnecessarily burdensome, particularly for SMEs. As highlighted in the West Midlands Chambers document “Delivering for Business”, the Chambers are calling on Members of European Parliament to work closely with the business community to ensure that EU legislation adequately reflects the needs of businesses and avoids unintended negative consequences.

Once ratified at EU level, EU regulations are then transposed into UK law and enforced by UK institutions. Here, even well thought-through EU legislation can become burdensome or impractical. There have been long-standing problems with Westminster and Whitehall “gold-plating” EU legislation by adding additional requirements. The Agency Workers Directive, for instance, is often held up as an example of successive “gold-plating” from both the former Labour and current Coalition Governments.

After being transposed into UK law, EU regulations are then enforced by a variety of local and national bodies. In some circumstances these agencies, and their inspectors, can create additional problems for businesses. Often businesses‟ issues with health and safety rules and some sector-based regulations stem from the way in which agencies choose to enforce them, rather than the actual rules themselves. Where regulators are too heavy handed business find themselves “hyper-complying” with requirements for fear of unintentionally breaking a regulation, a drain both on staff time and the flexibility of the business.

The Chambers are calling upon West Midlands MEPs to champion the needs of businesses both within the EU and with those national bodies charged with implementing EU regulations. They can provide a bridge between decision makers in Brussels, policy makers in the UK and implementers in the region to help ensure that legislation is being transposed and implemented in the way it was originally intended.

Every year GBCC looks out for policy issues that are resonating with members and recurring in the media.

For 2013-14 the top issues have been:  Gender Inequality in the Workplace  EU MEP Elections and the EU Referendum In 2013 the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce surveyed members on their views on key women in business related policies (Shared Parental Leave and Pay, proposed gender quotas for boards and reform to Childcare Vouchers).

The survey identified an appetite amongst businesses for doing more to support female employees but a lack of awareness about what the root causes of inequality are.

Every quarter the West Midlands Chambers of Commerce (including GBCC) polls members on their views on the UK‟s relationship with the EU and the impact withdrawal from the EU would have on Britain‟s business and economic prospects. The results show that businesses favour remaining in the EU with a renegotiated relationship.

2013 was a year of disappointing statistics for women on boards, the gender pay gap and female unemployment rates. After surveying members on the women in business agenda the GBCC set up a steering group of Chamber members to inform our women in business work. They advocated creating resources for women in business, rather than simply about them. As a result the following initiatives were created:  The Women in Business Toolkit (in partnership with Europe Direct)  The Using Language Effectively Series (authored by Professor Judith Baxter, Aston University).

The proposed EU in-out referendum remains a major subject of contention and debate. GBCC are ensuring members‟ views on Europe are represented by:  Communicating business views on Europe to the media and Government.  Ensuring business views are heard

by West Midlands MEPs in the run up to EU elections in May via the West Midlands Chambers EU Elections Manifesto.

Women in business, or more often, the lack of them at senior levels and in particular industries, remains a topic of hot debate in the UK. The proportion of women on boards in top companies remains low (Cranfield Female FTSE, 2014). The wage gap persists (CMI, 2013) and in March 2012 women‟s unemployment reached a twenty-five year high (Fawcett Society, 2012.). On the policy front we‟ve seen various new proposals aimed at tackling these longstanding issues ranging from proposed EU quotas for women on boards, to Shared Parental Leave and Pay and reform to the childcare vouchers system.

Women make up half of the UKs potential workforce and potential top leadership talent.

Equalising men and women‟s workforce participation rates would boost the economy by an estimated 10% by 2030 (GEO, 2013). As a result the women in business agenda, and associated policies and legislation, are of great interest to many UK businesses.

Rather than suggesting new legislative changes and regulations, we aim to raise awareness of what employees are already entitled to and the positive outcomes of implementing best practice. The Chambers‟ women in business work, rather than exclusively targeting employers, is largely aimed at employees. We believe that employees are best placed to know what is needed, and will work, for them and their workplace. It is based on the simple premise that to be informed is the first step to being empowered. By understanding what exists women in business, and their employers, may be able to change their workplace for the better.

The Chambers advocate business led change over Government legislation. The Chambers have partnered on developing and delivering key resources to support women in business including the Women in Business Toolkit and the Using Language Effectively Series.

As the 2014 EU elections approach, the economic impact of the EU on the region cannot be understated. Almost 50% of the total value of West Midlands exports go to the European Union.

Many major projects across the region are supported by European funding streams.

Each quarter, GBCC produces the quarterly EU Business Barometer to measure the attitudes of around 1,000 Chamber members across the West Midlands region towards EU membership. In Q4 2013, 60% of West Midlands firms believed that withdrawal from the EU would have a negative impact on Britain‟s business and economic prospects, compared to 57% last quarter.

Overall, firms favour remaining in the EU but with a repatriation of powers Greater Birmingham Chambers have worked with the West Midlands Chambers to produce a European Union Election Manifesto for 2014 “Delivering for Business”, highlighting to both prospective and current MEPs the issues that businesses would like to see addressed in relation to the EU.

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David Bharier Henrietta Brealey David Bharier David Bharier Henrietta Brealey and David Bharier

Chamber Council is the Chambers‟ primary policy and advocacy decision-making body.

It is made up of representatives from the Chambers‟ membership. For more information on how you can get involved contact Henrietta Brealey.

See the reverse of this document for contact details. Our Policy Advisors are always happy to discuss the Chambers‟ policy activities with interested individuals, organisations or at public speaking engagements.