Page 22 - BOSS Today Issue 62
P. 22

BOSS Today      #62     LOBBYING                                                                                                                                                                      BOSS Today     #62











                                                                                                                                                                                                      For far too long quality
                                                                                                                                                                                                      apprenticeships have been
                                                                                                                                                                                                      undervalued and not as
                                                      BOSS Lobbying                                                                                                                                   comparable in esteem


                                                                                                                                                                                                      to a degree.

                                                     Update










                                                                                                                                 postponement. If it’s adopted, this   n  Paper
                                                                                                                                 will mean EUDR will apply from 30   n  Furniture
                                                                                                                                 December 2026 (and 30 June 2027 for   n  Textiles
                                                                                                                                 micro and small companies). Yes, the   n  Appliances
                                                                                                                                 delay is intended to allow time to fix   n  ICT Hardware
                                                                                                                                 the IT capacity problems, which could                                EPR – invoices expected this month
          WELCOME TO YOUR BOSS LOBBYING BULLETIN FOR OCTOBER 2025.                                                               otherwise prove disruptive to trade.   Defra have hosted a number of webinars   This month will see obligated producers
          HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RECENT POLICY                                                                 For more information click here:   and sought feedback through a survey   receive their first invoices for the
                                                                                                                                                                                                      assessment year from 1 April 2025 to
                                                                                                                                                                   which closed on the 6th of October, thank
          DEVELOPMENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OUR INDUSTRY.                                                                                                           you to those members who responded to   31 March 2026. PackFed, the scheme’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                      administrator, has published guidance
                                                                                                                                                                   this. The survey asked:
                                                                                                                                                                                                      which includes a preparation checklist to
                                                                                                                                                                   n    whether the standards should be   help you get ready. It’s also worth noting
                                                                                                                                                                      updated to make use of widely   the contact details of the EPR Helpdesk.
                                                                                                                                 Late payment and long payment        accepted external assurance     By phone, it’s 0300 060 0002 (Monday to
                                                                               “For far too long quality apprenticeships         terms – we need to hear about it!    schemes and ecolabels.          Friday, 8am to 4.30pm) or you can email
                                                                               have been undervalued and not as                  We still want to hear about your                                     EPRCustomerService@defra.gov.uk
                                                                               comparable in esteem to a degree.                 experiences of late payment and long   n   whether some standards should
                                                                               Industry will give a strong welcome to            payment terms. It’s for a government      include ‘second life targets’ that
                                                                               the Prime Minister’s emphasis on their            consultation which closes on         require a proportion of products
          Political update                  Apprenticeships                    importance, the advanced skill levels             23 October, so please send us your      provided by suppliers to be sourced
          Parliament’s still in recess while the   At the Conference, the Prime Minister   they involve and the fact we now have a   views by 10 October to           through reuse, refurbishment,
          party conferences play on. Labour has   announced a shift in thinking on young   target of equal value to university that   carys@bossfederation.co.uk      remanufacture or repair.
          returned from Liverpool, following   people and social mobility. The existing   we have long advocated for.”
          plenty of attacks on poll-leaders Reform   target of getting 50% of England’s young                                                                      n   any other topics it is most important  Contact BOSS’s Public Affairs Adviser,
          and very little attention paid to their   people into university has been reviewed,                                                                         for the standards to address    Carys Davis, directly on
          more traditional opponents. Speaking   having been set by the Blair Government                                                                              considering the full lifecycle of  carys@bossfederation.co.uk
          of whom, the Conservative Party met in   more than 20 years ago. Starmer’s                                                                                  products and services.
          Manchester this weekend – on Sunday   replaced it with a target of two thirds                                          THE GOVERNMENT BUYING
          Kemi Badenoch gave a speech on leaving   of young people going to university or                                        STANDARDS (GBS) REVIEW            Defra expect to finalise the final draft of
          the European Convention on Human   ‘gold standard apprenticeships’.  He also   Stop press! – further                   The GBS set mandatory minimum and  the updated buying standards at the end
          Rights and the usual leader’s speech is   announced 14 new technical excellence   delay to EUDR likely                 best practice standards for central  of October/beginning of November.
          expected on Wednesday.            colleges, focused on the high-growth   An update released last week confirmed        government departments and the
                                            sectors of the Industrial Strategy.   expectations that EUDR will be                 wider public sector to use in tender
                                                                               delayed again. EU Commissioner                    requirements and contract terms.There
                                            Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson        for Environment, Jessika Roswall,                 are eleven categories of products that
                                            responded to the announcement,     announced that the Commission                     Defra are currently reviewing, including
                                            saying:                            are proposing a further one-year                  some key office supplies, such as:


                                                            22                                                                                                                     23
   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27