South West Chambers of Commerce
The South West Chambers of Commerce (SWCC) network was established in 1998 as a collaborative venture. It is currently operating under a three-year Business Plan to 2010, which has sought to clarify and strengthen both the role and modus operandi of the grouping. The Plan also sets out the the SWCC's constituent structure and its objectives for the immediate and medium term future.
To peruse the Business Plan's contents simply click on the following links:
Appendix 1 - Principal Hub Chambers of Commerce 2007
Appendix 2 - Current Activity - What We Are Doing Now
-oOo-
Business Link introduces the
Supplier Matching Service
to the West of England
- Your opportunity to win new business.
A major aspect of the Business Link service is to help their clients find solutions to their business needs. This is achieved by determining the type of support our customers need and then seeking to identify possible commercial suppliers who can deliver the support required.
From April 2007, in line with their Brokerage model of impartial business support, the Supplier Matching Service (SMS) will be Business Link's only source of information on suppliers. They will use this web-based database exclusively to search for the appropriate suppliers for their clients.
Business Link would like to invite quality providers to register on to the Supplier Matching Service (SMS) before April 2007 so that they will not miss out on the opportunity to be considered for delivery of business support to their clients as soon as the Service goes live.
Business Links in other parts of the country are already using the Supplier Matching Service. It will now be rolled out across all Business Links in the SWRDA (South West of England Regional Development Agency) network - greatly expanding the potential business opportunities for local businesses*.
For more information on SMS and how to register go to:
http://www.suppliermatching.co.uk/
contact Zoe Bartlett on 01275 370856 zoe.bartlett@businesswest.co.uk
or Peter Weeks on 07976 133336 peter.weeks@businesswest.co.uk
SMS registration is free of charge.
Why wait to take advantage of this valuable new opportunity?
Peter Weeks - Business Adviser
* A listing on the SMS database does not guarantee selection of your company for any work brokered out by Business Link
RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Chief Executive of Business Services at Burroughs Day Solicitors and specialist Employment Lawyer, David Thomas, examines the new regulations on Smoking in the workplace.
On 1 July 2007 five new sets of Regulations will come into force in England, which will affect all workplaces, even if you are already non-smoking.
The idea behind the introduction of the Smoke-free Legislation is:
- to reduce the risks to health from exposure to secondhand smoke
- to recognise a person's right to enjoy smoke-free air
- to reduce pressure on people trying to give up smoking, thus saving thousands of lives over the next decade.
The new law will result in virtually all enclosed public places and work places becoming smoke-free. This applies to all enclosed or substantially enclosed parts of work premises and offices, and all work transport.
There are fairly detailed Regulations about what are 'enclosed premises', but in essence anything which is indoors or where there is a roof and it is more than 50% enclosed will be covered.
Requirements and Penalties:
- You must not smoke in a smoke-free place. The penalty is a maximum fine of £200, or a fixed penalty of £50 (discounted to £30 for prompt payment).
- Every place of work must have certain signage (A5 and in a set form), usually at the entrance. Failure to display no-smoking signs carries a maximum fine of £1,000, or a fixed penalty of £200 (discounted to £150).
- Managers and people in control of premises must take reasonable steps to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place (e.g. remove ashtrays, display signs, etc). Failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place carries a maximum fine of £2,500. Therefore, you could be held responsible if someone smokes on your premises, or in one of your vehicles.
There are a few exemptions:
1. Private accommodation, other than any part which is shared with other premises (e.g. stairs, hallways, etc), or is used as solely as a place of work.
2. A designated bedroom in a hotel, guesthouse, inn, hostel or members club, care home, hospice or prison. The doors to such bedrooms should have a mechanically closing door and should be clearly marked as a bedroom in which smoking is permitted.
3. A room in a care home, hospice, or prison, which is designated only for smoking.
To be a designated bedroom (or smoking room within a care home) the room must have been designated in writing, by the person in charge of the premises, as a room in which smoking is permitted. Further, the room cannot ventilate into a non-smoking area, it must be clearly marked as a room in which smoking is permitted and have a mechanically closing door.
David comments " Scotland had the ban introduced in March 2006 and Wales in April 2007. In Wales, it is too early to gauge what the impact of the new laws will be. However, in Scotland the percentage of adults smoking reduced by 2%: the legislation is, therefore, perceived as a big success. In Scotland business compliance was very high, the main area of non-compliance being failure to display the correct signage. There has only been one prosecution in Scotland (and that was where a business owner assaulted the Environmental Health Officer who was a bit upset about it) the rest being dealt with by fixed penalty. About 10 fixed penalties are issued to businesses and 175 to individuals per quarter, a very low number compared to the average 15,000 inspections per quarter across Scotland.
North Somerset have been allocated £100,000 to spend over 2 years to enforce the ban. They do not intend to employ specific enforcers and will probably spend most of this money on educating businesses and individuals on their obligations. The risks of non-compliance appear low but it is presumably easier to comply than resist."
Nearly all businesses should by now have received an information pack about the new Regulations. If you have not yet received your pack you can visit http://www.smokefreeengland.co.ul/ or call 0800 169 1697 to obtain further information.
Burroughs Day provides expert and proactive advice to SMEs and owner-managed businesses in North Somerset and Bristol and will provide advice on the smoking ban to members of Weston Chamber of Commerce. Please call David Thomas at Burroughs Day on 0117 9307559 or email: david.thomas@bd4law.com if you have any problems or queries.
.JPG)