Office for Life Sciences Bulletin – 15 January 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 - Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has urged traders to ensure that they are fully ready with the new rules for trading with the European Union. For more information, please click here. REMINDER - Paul Scully MP, wrote to businesses yesterday, about Covid testing for hauliers before leaving the UK for France. The letter urges businesses to discuss with any haulage companies that they work with, that they have plans in place to ensure that hauliers have tested negative within 72 hours prior to travel. To view the full text of the letter, click here. Please find more information here. An introductory guide to Lateral Flow Device (LFD) testing in workplaces has been published and is available to view here. NEW - Rapid, regular testing for people without symptoms of COVID-19 is being made available across the country from this week, with all 317 local authorities in England now eligible for the community testing programme. Please find more information here.
Local authorities will be encouraged to target testing at people who are unable to work from home during the national lockdown. NEW - From 4am on 18 January, if you intend to travel to England or from 4am on 15 January if you intend to travel to Scotland, including UK nationals returning home from travel
abroad, you must now provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to 3 days before departure. Please find guidance on the jobs that qualify for travel exemptions here, and the latest guidance on pre-departure testing here.
Transition Guidance NEW - The eCommerce Directive no longer applies to the UK, now that the transition period is over. If you are a provider of online services, you should take steps in response to these changes. Guidance, outlining what has changed and what checks you need to make, has been issued. For more information, click here. UPDATED - Guidance on how you import and export with Japan has been updated, with new information on small consignment and waivers. For more information, click here. NEW - Those who move goods between the UK and Ireland need to complete a PreBoarding Notification using the Irish Revenue’s system. A User guide for Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN) is available from the Irish government here. A video guide is also available here. UPDATED - Guidance on what to do if you had goods in customs procedures at the end of the transition period has been updated with information about moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. For more information, click here. UPDATED – Guidance on getting a goods movement reference after registering with the Goods Vehicle Movement Service has been updated. For more information, click here. UPDATED – January editions of the HMRC Community, Common Transit and TIR newsletter have been issued. To view these, and previous editions, click here. UPDATED - Guidance on the rules you must follow for returning rejected exports to Great Britain has been updated to include links to post Brexit transition guidance. For more information, click here. NEW - Guidance has been issued explaining changes to tax deductions from interest, royalties and dividends, following the end of the Brexit transition period. For more information, click here. NEW - Guidance has been issued with information for public authorities, businesses and other organisations, on public procurement policy. For more information, click here.
Events Keep up to date with all the latest available webinars: • • • •
Find videos to to support your business during coronavirus disruptions here. Watch past HMRC videos 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.
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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.
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 Completing customs import declaration, please register here.
Regulation
UPDATED - Guidance on designated standards has been updated for medical devices. For more information, click here. UPDATED - Guidance on what EU businesses need to do with data protection, intellectual property and copyright in the UK, has been updated with the latest information on transferring personal data to the UK. For more information, click here. UPDATED – guidance on converting Centrally Authorised Products (CAPs) to UK Marketing Authorisations (MAs), 'grandfathering' and managing lifecycle changes has been updated. It covers ‘grandfathering’ and managing the lifecycle changes of medicinal products, with clearer information on legal presence. For more information, click here. UPDATED – Guidance on medical devices given exceptional use authorisations during the COVID-19 pandemic has been updated here.
Workforce
UPDATED - Check which country’s social security contributions you must pay if you are a worker from the UK working in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland or Liechtenstein. Guidance has been updated, with the countries who have agreed to apply the ‘detached worker’ rules. For more information, click here. NEW - The Business Minister, Paul Scully, on 14 January issued a ‘rallying call’ to employers across the country to take some simple steps to help victims of domestic abuse. To view the Business Minister’s letter, click here. UPDATED – Guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been updated to include new information about claiming Employment Allowance. For more information, click here.
UPDATED – Guidance on how to apply for a Kickstart scheme grant has been updated with new information about how to add new job placements. For more information for 29 or less job placements, click here. For 30 or more job placements, click here. UPDATED - Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been updated to reflect the new national lockdown restrictions in England. For more information, click here.
Useful Links • • • • • • • •
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Gov.uk/transition provides a central hub of resources You can sign up to email alerts on GOV.UK at this link. 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. 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