Office for Life Sciences Bulletin – 25 September 2020 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 whilst the UK is in the transition period 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: Sonia.Davies@officeforlifesciences.gov.uk
Events Government departments are hosting a series of free webinars to help businesses understand the support available to them. Keep up to date with all the latest available webinars here, and watch past HMRC videos here. 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. 8 October – ABHI Virtual IVDR Conference. In the virtual conference ABHI will review how best to embed the requirements of IVDR into your organisation, taking into account key commercial considerations including product development and market access. Please find out more information and register here.
News Gov.UK summary of all changes applying from 22 September 2020 due to increased Coronavirus cases found here.
Transition Period Readiness NEW – The Government published its Reasonable Worst Case Scenario (RWCS) for borders at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. The document was published on 23 September and can be found here. It provides further information about the RWCS planning assumptions for potential disruption to freight travelling between Great Britain and the European Union at the end of the transition period.
COVID Business Support The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined additional government support to provide certainty to businesses and workers impacted by coronavirus across the UK. Found here. Including: •
A new Job Support Scheme will be introduced from 1 November to protect viable jobs in businesses who are facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus. More information available here.
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The Government is continuing its support for millions of self-employed individuals by extending the Self Employment Income Support Scheme Grant (SEISS). More information available here.
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The temporary 15% VAT cut for the tourism and hospitality sectors will be extended to the end of March next year. In addition, business who deferred their VAT bills will be given more breathing space through the New Payment Scheme, which gives them the option to pay back in smaller instalments.
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Self-assessment taxpayers will be able to benefit from a separate additional 12-month extension from HMRC on the “Time to Pay” self-service facility, meaning payments deferred from July 2020, and those due in January 2021, will now not need to be paid until January 2022.
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Businesses who took out a Bounce Back Loan will be given the option to repay their loan over a period of up to ten years through a new Pay as You Grow flexible repayment system. Interest-only periods of up to six months and payment holidays will also be available to businesses.
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Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lenders will be given the ability to extend the length of loans from a maximum of six years to ten years if it will help businesses to repay the loan.
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The government is extending four temporary loan schemes to 30 November 2020 for new applications: As a result, more businesses will now be able to benefit from the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Future Fund.
UPDATED - Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act extended to relieve pressure on businesses dealing with coronavirus: Measures put in place to protect businesses from insolvency will be extended to continue giving them much-needed breathing space during the coronavirus.
NEW – HM Land Registry Practice guide 80: useful information for conveyancers provides information about changes made to facilitate conveyancing and registration before and during the coronavirus outbreak. NEW – Consultation on National Insurance Contributions holiday for employers that hire former members of the armed forces: The government is seeking views from employers of veterans, software providers and accountants on the National Insurance contribution holiday for veterans announced at Spring Budget 2020. This relief will be available to employers of veterans from April 2021. Find out more and respond here before 5 October.
Workforce NEW – The NHS COVID-19 app has launched across England and Wales to help control COVID-19 transmission alongside national and local contact tracing. From today certain businesses in England are required by law to display NHS Test and Trace QR codes so customers with the NHS COVID-19 app can use them to check-in. NEW – Package to support and enforce self-isolation in England announced including a payment of £500 for those on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result. New fines for those breaching self-isolation rules will start at £1,000 but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breaches, including for those preventing others from self-isolating. More information available here. NEW – Announcement on childcare and household mixing restrictions in local areas of intervention found here. UPDATED – Safer working guidance has been updated following Tuesday’s announcements. More information available here.
Regulation UPDATED – Guidance on medical devices given exceptional use authorisations during COVID-19 found here. UPDATED – Guidance on how tests and testing kits for COVID-19 work found here.
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Useful Links Gov.uk/transition provides a central hub of resources for the transition period You can sign up to email alerts about the transition period on GOV.UK at this link. Sign up for Home Office email updates about developments on the status of EU citizens in the UK after we leave the EU and 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.
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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 To offer your support producing ventilators please contact the Business Support Helpline for England on 0300 456 3565 or ventilator.support@beis.gov.uk. o If you have already offered to assist on the ventilators project but not received a reply, please contact existing.ventilators@dhsc.gov.uk. 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