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Oct 20

80% Reduction in Carrier Bag Usage in Scotland Highlights Need for Universal English Charge

ACS continues to urge the government to include small businesses in England’s single-use carrier bag charge after figures today show Scotland’s universal charge has cut usage by 650 million bags in its first year.

The figures, released today by the Scottish government, show that the number of single-use carrier bag bags given to consumers has decreased by 80% since the 5p charge came into effect on 20th October 2014. The charge, which applies to businesses of all sizes, has helped raise over £6.7 million for good causes.

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Oct 15

MPs Raise Concerns about Sunday Trading Impact; Proposals Yet to be Published

MPs from a range of political parties have raised concerns in parliament about the government’s plans to devolve decisions on Sunday trading to local authorities.

Many MPs were expecting the proposals to be included as an amendment to the Cities & Devolution Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday.  However, this clause was not proposed as an amendment at this stage, with ministers not confirming if and when this policy would be brought into legislation.

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Oct 11

ACS Welcomes Cap on Debit and Credit Card Fees

ACS has welcomed the government’s decision to introduce EU measures which will cap the costs retailers currently face when processing debit and credit card payments.

From 9th December, the European Commission’s Interchange Fee Regulation will come into effect which will cap the amount that is charged by banks to card providers to 0.2% on debit cards and 0.3% on credit cards.

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Oct 09

Vote Now for the Winners of the Great British High Streets Competition

The 21 finalists for the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Great British High Streets Competition have now been announced across the competition’s seven categories.

The finalists now have the opportunity to impress an expert judging panel and battle it out in the public vote to be crowned Britain’s best. Winners in each category will receive expert training and tailor-made tips from Google’s training taskforce for 100 of their high street’s shops, bars and restaurants.

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Oct 09

Camelot Launches New-Look for Lotto

National Lottery operator, Camelot, have announced changes to their flagship Lotto game which will launch tomorrow, Saturday 10 October, with 25 guaranteed millionaire winners.

Tickets for the new Lotto game for consumers went on sale yesterday and Lotto retailers will have received a Lotto launch kit – including PlayStation POS, window posters, leaflets, counter wraps, foil balloons, bunting, and new Lotto and Lotto HotPicks play slips.

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Oct 08

Chief Executive's Blog: Business Rates Revolution, or Changes at the Margins?

We heard about George Osborne’s promise to devolve business rates to local authorities while waiting to start our fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference, just yards from where the Chancellor was speaking. This looked like another Osborne bombshell, hot on the heels of his planned devolution of Sunday trading and announcement of a national living wage of over £9 by 2020.

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Oct 06

ACS Welcomes Sentencing Council’s New Guidelines for Shop Theft Offences

ACS has welcomed the Sentencing Council’s new sentencing guidelines for shop theft which emphasise the emotional distress, property damage and the effect on the business when sanctioning offenders.

The guidelines, used by judges and magistrates to decide the appropriate sentence for a criminal offence, introduces a new approach to assessing the harm of shop theft to take into account the wider impact the crime has on its victims.

However, ACS raises concerns that the guidelines do not include a separate assessment for repeat offenders.

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Oct 05

ACS Warns of Potential Impact of Locally Set Business Rates

ACS has responded to the chancellor’s announcement on locally set business rates, raising concerns that rates could rise for local businesses. In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester today, the chancellor, George Osborne, has announced that he will “abolish” the current system of business rates and replace it with a system which allows local authorities to set business rates themselves.

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Oct 02

ACS Concerned By Institute of Licensing Proposals On Licensing Conditions

In response to the Institute of Licensing consultation on template licensing conditions ACS has raised concerns that the proposal are unworkable.

ACS chief executive, James Lowman said: “Effective licencing conditions must be based on local evidence and tailored to each premise.  Template licensing condition, as proposed in the consultation, is likely to result in blanket condition that are not relevant to individual local shops – we urge the Institute of Licensing to reconsider publishing this guidance.”

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