Boris Johnson unveils plan to return England 'to normality' by Christmas
Coronavirus restrictions will ease further in England under plans for a "significant return to normality" by Christmas, Boris Johnson has announced.
The latest changes in England
- From 25 July indoor gyms, pools and other sports facilities can reopen
- On 1 August the government will update its advice on going to work, asking employers to make decisions about how and where their staff can work safely
- From the same date, most remaining leisure settings, including bowling, skating rinks, casinos and all close contact services such as beauticians, will be allowed to reopen
- Live indoor theatre and concerts will be able to resume with socially distanced audience
- Wedding receptions for up to 30 people will also be allowed from next month
- From September, nurseries, schools and colleges will be open for all children and young people on a full-time basis, while universities are also working to reopen as fully as possible
- From October, the government intends to allow audiences to return to stadiums, while conferences and other business events can recommence, subject to the outcome of pilots
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On Monday, the government launched a major new public information campaign, ‘The UK’s new start: let’s get going’. It will clearly set out the actions businesses and individuals need to take to prepare for the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, and ensure they are ready to seize the opportunities that it will bring.
Campaign advertisements will include the “Check, Change, Go” strapline which directs people and businesses to a straightforward checker tool which quickly identifies the necessary next steps they need to take.
HMRC is reminding Self Assessment taxpayers that they can automatically defer their July payment on account.
Anyone who has difficulty paying their second 2019 to 2020 Self Assessment payment on account can take advantage of automatically deferring the payment until 31 January 2021.
The second Self Assessment payment on account for 2019 to 2020 is ordinarily due at the end of July, but the government previously announced it is supporting the self-employed and others by allowing them to defer this payment. Further details can be found here.
The UK government announced on Friday (10 July) £40 million of funding to unlock thousands of green jobs by developing the next generation of nuclear energy technology.
Part of this funding will support 3 Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) projects, which are far smaller than traditional nuclear plants and use intense heat generated in nuclear reactions to produce low-carbon electricity. They can be used at remote locations thanks to their size, and can produce enough energy to power anything from a small village to a medium-sized city. Full details can be found here.
Retailers, farming unions, consumer, hospitality and environmental bodies from across the UK have been named as members of the Government’s new Trade and Agriculture Commission.
It will be chaired by food safety expert Tim Smith, a former Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency and Tesco Group Technical Director.
It will report directly to International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, advising on:
- Trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, while ensuring the sector remains competitive and that animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.
- Advancing and protecting British consumer interests and those of developing countries.
- How the UK engages the WTO to build a coalition that helps advance higher animal welfare standards across the world.
- Developing trade policy that identifies and opens up new export opportunities for the UK agricultural industry – in particular for SMEs – and that benefits the UK economy as a whole.
Full details can be found here.
Changes to the planning system will save theatres, concert halls and live music performance venues for future generations.
Councils will now need to take the temporary impact of coronavirus into account when considering permission for change of use, redevelopment or demolition of a theatre, concert hall or live music performance venue.
This move, alongside the £1.57 billion investment to protect Britain’s cultural, arts and heritage sector, provides extra security to businesses as they make plans to re-open their premises when it is safe to do so, and in the meantime continue to share their talent and passion for the arts outdoors and virtually.
Full details can be found here.
Public bodies, organisations and charities have produced additional resources that may be useful to employers and employees. To access the resources please see here.
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