Update from Lembit on Lobbying project: “All-Party Parliamentary Group on Employee Relocation relaunch” July 2023

ARP has a presence in Parliament once again. After the disruptive years of Covid-19, when much of Parliamentary was on hold, the ARP’s Strategic Consultant for Political Engagement, Lembit Öpik, successfully organised the relaunch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Employee Relocation on Tuesday 20th June 2023.

The event achieved the necessary quorum, and elected the following Officers:

Mr Daniel Kawczynski MP Chair

Neil Coyle MP Vice Chair

Duncan Baker MP Vice Chair

Rob Roberts MP Vice Chair

James Sunderland MP Vice Chair of the allowance system might be the way to proceed on this.

• Visa complexity and processing issues act as a barrier to entry to the UK, including those visas for partners and spouses.

• The industry needs to achieve recognition in Parliament to increase its influence.

• The APPG can help create policy change to make useful improvements to the relocation regime in the UK.

• The APPG needs to be bold in stating what matters most, for example relating to issues in the housing and serviced accommodation markets.

• The APPG should present a collective, cross-party front to Minister, with all Officers jointly signing requests on specific areas of concern and focus.

• The ARP Board will talk to members and establish the key focus for APPG.

• If anything needed in terms of relocation issues by MPs, the APPG will provide a comprehensive service to deliver what is required. In other words, the APPG will benefit from the ARP’s commitment to being the central resource to MPs and Peers on these matters, including specific cases.

• We will also introduce a more sensible and proportionate infrastructure regarding anti-money laundering legislation relating to relocation. The UK is the only place in Europe where some of these checks must be done for relocation.

The APPG agreed to use the Parliamentary tools available to deliver outcomes for the sector. These include Parliamentary Questions, interventions in debates, meetings with Ministers, a Westminster Hall debate and cross-party requests for action and support for relocation.

The Group will also consider how best to reach out to the Department for International Trade to support UK inward investment; and how to ensure the property sector is regulated in relation to relocation.

The ARP was well represented with its Chair, Adrian Leach, Mima Hillier and Anna Barker present. Adrian Leach outlined the key role played by relocation in attracting inward investment to the UK. He committed to working proactively with Parliament, through the APPG, to enhance the sector’s £7bn per annum direct contribution and £21bn per annum consequential contribution to the British economy. The APPG discussed the following areas:

• Inflation in the relocation sector, and the failure of the relocation threshold to have been uprated – ever: it remains at the original level of £8,000 since the early 1990s. Reform

The immediate next step is to commence the work on these fields, and build a lasting and robust alliance between the Association of Relocation Professionals and Members of the Group. The clearer the APPG is on the issues it seeks to affect, and the more united the messaging, the greater the chances of success. Mr Leach expressed his enthusiasm and positive impressions of what he had learned at the meeting.

Mr Kawczynski finished on an optimistic note about the outcome of the meeting. He looks forward to the APPG making an energising and productive impact on the future of the British economy. We’ll keep you updated on progress, as the ARP forges ahead to ensure that from now on the industry leads Government policy on relocation.