Office for Life Sciences Bulletin – 09 April 2021
OLS Introduction The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a joint unit between the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This bulletin aims to keep the life sciences sector up to date on the latest guidance and during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, providing you with information from Government to help your members and networks prepare. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please email nita.bhanot@beis.gov.uk For any questions on the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, please contact euexit@officeforlifesciences.gov.uk
News NEW – The Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund is now open. The fund aims to boost economic opportunities, innovation and health resilience by supporting medicines and diagnostics manufacturing investments in the UK. Applicants are invited to apply for a share of the total fund of £20m. Application portal closes 30th June 2021. For more information and to apply, click here. NEW – From Monday 12th April England will move to Step Two of the roadmap. Some of the rules on what you can and cannot do will change on 12 April. For more information on how COVID-19 restrictions will be eased in England, view the roadmap here. NEW – The Recovery Loan Scheme was launched on Tuesday 6 April by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide additional finance to those businesses that need it. Businesses can access loans varying in size from £25,000, up to a maximum of £10 million. Invoice and asset finance is available from £1,000. The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement is here. For more information on what other financial support you can get for your business, click here. NEW – DHSC Chief Commercial Officer Steve Oldfield has written an open letter to medicines and medical product suppliers covering continuity of supply, new import controls and batch testing. To view this letter, click here.
Regulation UPDATED – The MHRA have updated the list of medical devices given exceptional use authorisations and the list of devices no longer covered. For more information, click here.
Business Support UPDATED – Coronavirus guidance for Companies House companies has been updated with information that the automatic extensions granted by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act have come to an end. Some companies can still apply for a 3-month extension but companies that have already had their accounts deadline extended may not be eligible, as the law only allows a maximum filing period of 12 months. To check your filing deadlines on Companies House service, click here. For more information, click here.
Workforce UPDATED – Guidance on NHS Test and Trace in the workplace has been updated with rules for businesses reopening, and for entering a venue. You must ask every customer or visitor to scan the NHS QR code using their NHS COVID-19 app, or provide their name and contact details, not just a lead member of the group. For more information, click here. UPDATED – Guidance on the Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to coronavirus has been updated. Information on the weekly rate in the ‘what you can claim’ section has been updated to reveal new weekly rate from 6 April 2021 is now £96.35. For more information, click here. UPDATED – Guidance on claiming for employee’s wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been updated with sections about the periods for when you can make a claim, if your employee does training and details of when the claim will be publicly available. For more information, click here. UPDATED – Guidance on steps to take before calculating your claim using the Coronavirus Retention Scheme has been updated to reflect dates for when employers can make a claim. For more information, click here. NEW – From 6 April, the workplace testing programme will supply home test kits to companies with over 10 workers where it is not possible to set up testing on-site due to a lack of space or because companies operate across multiple sites. Businesses must register interest by 12 April to access free tests. Find out more here. NEW – New guidance on employer testing duty has been published. If you are an employer that requires staff to travel regularly across UK borders you must take reasonable steps to facilitate your employees to take tests. Find out more here. NEW – New guidance has been published on bespoke testing for eligible international arrivals travelling to England from outside the Common Travel Area. Some people do not have to quarantine if they are travelling for work, because of the jobs they do. Check this list of jobs to find out whether you qualify for an exemption from quarantine and whether you
must follow a bespoke testing regime or day 2 and day 8 testing for international arrivals. Find more information here.
Events Keep up to date with all the latest available webinars: • • • • • •
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Find videos to support your business during coronavirus disruptions here. Watch past HMRC videos on coronavirus here and UK transition here. Find videos to help you learn more about trading with the EU from 1 January here. Click here to view a list of webinars for organisations that trade with the EU you can watch live or on demand.. The Home Office has created a podcast episode to help you prepare for the pointsbased immigration system. Listen now to Business and the Future of Immigration in 2021. Also available on Spotify and Apple. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is hosting a series of free podcasts to help businesses that make, use or supply chemicals, understand what actions they need to take. To listen to the podcast, just search ‘The HSE Podcast’ on your chosen platform. Audiences can also register to receive notifications for each episode released using this link. BEIS has launched a series of on demand videos, to help businesses familiarise themselves with the new rules. Topics include importing and exporting, trade, Rules of Origin, tariffs, data, and audit and accounting. To view the videos, click here. Webinars giving an overview of the new rules that have come into place since leaving the EU customs union and the EU single market are now available to view. To access these, click here.
Various dates - A calendar of upcoming webinars for organisations that trade with the EU is available here. Topics include: importing, trader responsibilities, exporting and more. Various dates - Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) Various dates – Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and flexible furloughing webinar. Register here. Various dates – HMRC webinar on completing customs import declarations. To register and find a date, please click here. Various dates - HMRC webinar on exporting: what you need to do to keep your goods moving. To register and find a date, please click here. Various dates – HMRC webinar on importing: staged introduction of import controls. To register and find a date, please click here.
Useful Links • •
Gov.uk/transition provides a central hub of resources You can sign up to email alerts on GOV.UK at this link.
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Sign up for Home Office email updates about the next steps for EU citizens in the UK at this link. Access the ‘Check How to Export Goods’ tool here for the information you need to export goods out of the UK market. Click here for more information and advice on exporting. Click here for updated information on the Covid-19 response from the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England. Click here for a list of Business Representative Organisations and Trade Associations you can speak with to get advice. Specific information for businesses and employers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales is available. In England, Growth Hubs can advise on local and UK Government business support. Register for HMRC’s free Trader Support Service if you are moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Click here to view the latest weekly TSS bulletin. The most up-to-date guidance on the Northern Ireland Protocol is on GOV.UK, including information on moving goods into, out of, or through Northern Ireland. VAT guidance about the conditions for zero rating VAT on the goods you export, and what you should do when you export goods in specific circumstances. A list of government Brexit transition helplines organised by theme and key actions for businesses has been published. To view this, click here. COVID 19 key contact details: o General offers of help from industry: gcfcovid19enquiries@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, or visit this webpage. o Share the impact COVID-19 is having on your organisation with intel@beis.gov.uk o To provide feedback on MHRA engagement please contact engagement@mhra.gov.uk o To call the Business Support Helpline in England please dial FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098, Scotland 0300 303 0660, Business Wales 0330 060 300 and Invest Northern Ireland 0800 181 4422