Press Releases

During a debate on the second reading of the Environment Bill, MPs have echoed concerns raised by ACS about the details of the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme in England and Wales.

Speaking during the debate, Mark Pawsey MP said: “We need to consider the number of return points, whether cafes and restaurants will be included, and if the scheme will provide an exemption for small retailers who lack the space to install a reverse vending machine, and there are serious questions for the Minister about who’s going to pay for it.”

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed calls from consumer group Which?, urging the government to protect access to cash as part of next month’s Budget.

In an open letter today (26^th February) Which? has called on the Chancellor to introduce legislation to secure the future of the ATM network.

Figures from LINK’s Financial Inclusion Monthly Report show that 9,500 free to use ATMs have been lost in the last two years.

From 2nd March 2020, all licensed premises, including convenience stores, must comply with the Public Health (Mininum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Act 2018. This means that retailers must not sell alcohol below 50p per unit.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has responded to their consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England, announcing plans to introduce restrictions on the sale of wood and a ban on coal from next year.

The government had previously consulted on measures in 2018 as a way to tackle air pollution due to domestic burning.

The government has confirmed in an announcement today that from February 2021, they will introduce the following:

From today (20th February) the new polymer £20 will enter circulation and begin appearing in ATMs across the UK.

The £20 polymer note has been designed to be the most secure banknote yet, incorporating sophisticated security features which are difficult to counterfeit but are simple for retailers to check.

The two main security features to look out for are:

The government has announced (18 February 2020) additional support for people affected by flooding following Storms Dennis and Ciara. 

Under the Flood Recovery Framework and as some affected areas move into recovery,  businesses will receive funding from their local councils after a set of support packages were announced by the Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick.

Under the measures announced:  

ACS has pledged to work with a new initiative to help communities retain free access to cash. Communities across the country are encouraged to apply to participate in the new Community Access to Cash Pilots which will help to test solutions to local access to cash needs, with the goal of developing scalable solutions which can inform national policy.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed calls from Matthew Taylor, the Interim Director of Labour Market Enforcement for tighter regulation to tackle non-compliant hand car washes.

At an event at Resolution Foundation today (13^th February), Matthew Taylor called for the introduction of a national licensing scheme to tackle “endemic non-compliance” in the hand car wash sector.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is urging retailers to ensure that they are prepared for the introduction of the new polymer £20 and are aware of its security features.

From 20^th February 2020 the new polymer £20 will enter circulation and begin appearing in ATMs across the UK.

The £20 polymer note has been designed to be the most secure banknote yet, incorporating sophisticated security features which are difficult to counterfeit but are simple for retailers to check.

The two main security features to look out for are:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has reiterated calls to the Government to take urgent action to protect shopworkers from violence and abuse.

During a Westminster Hall debate on the Protection of Retail Workers, led by Mike Amesbury MP, there was agreement from MPs that there should be a specific new offence for attacks against someone serving the public.

Speaking in the debate, Gareth Thomas MP said: “We require shopworkers to uphold legislation passed by Parliament so the least we can do is make sure we protect those same workers”.