Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his Autumn Budget and Spending Review. The main points are: Chancellor began speaking at 12:34pm Employment is up and wages are rising, he said. Budget prepares for a new economy post-Covid, he said. “An economy fit for a new age of optimism.” Higher inflation was a global problem, said the...
The potential of hydrogen to transform the West of England’s economy, from its transport to the way its homes are heated, is to be explored by a new consortium of businesses and universities. The group, which includes many of the region’s largest firms such as Airbus and EDF, was launched at an event at...
The administrators of Bath energy supplier Pure Planet, which last week became the latest victim of the wholesale gas price surge, have said their first priority is to support its 235,000 customers. But they also pledged to Pure Planet's 197 staff – none of which have so far been made redundant. Eddie Williams,...
The founders of Bath-based Pure Planet, which this week became the latest energy supplier to collapse, have hit out at the government over its handling of the crisis. The firm became Britain’s first digital green energy supplier when it was launched in 2015 by some of the UK mobile telecoms industry’s most experienced executives. ...
Small businesses in Bath and across the West of England are being offered help to improve their digital presence to enable them to grow. The Tech for Growth programme will match businesses with a consultant and support them with up to four days of hands-on assistance to develop and adopt technology. The support is...
Young people struggling with challenges ranging from bullying and exam stress to suicidal thoughts and bereavement are to receive support in special room named after Bath-based specialist software house Mayden. Charity Off the Record Bath and North East Somerset decided to recognise Mayden’s outstanding support, including introducing its iaptus CYP software earlier this year...
More than £1m has been pledged by businesses and organisations across the West of England from their unused apprenticeship levy funds to help people in the region develop new skills. The funds have gone to the Share to Support scheme, which was launched earlier this year to create vital apprenticeships for individuals and boost...
Outsourcing group Capita is to sell its Secure Solutions and Services business to international IT group NEC in a deal expected to be worth around £62m. Chippenham-headquartered Secure Solutions and Services (SSS) supplies IT to the police, criminal justice, emergency services and critical responder sectors across the world. These range from control room and...
The South West’s key sectors could suffer irreparable damage unless the government starts to tackle the shortage of workers by easing EU visa restrictions, the region’s business leaders today warned. But even providing temporary visas for jobs such as drivers and food workers would only be a short-term measure and ministers must also come...
Small firms based in the Mendip area that have been hit by the pandemic or Brexit are being urged to apply for revitalisation grants of up to £20,000 before the deadline in less than two weeks. The grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available to businesses in the area covered by Mendip District...
