In advance of this month’s Autumn statement, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) have called on Chancellor Philip Hammond MP to prioritise investment in new digital technology and clean energy, and to provide greater support for SMEs.
The two trade bodies, have issued a four-point plan to the treasury, urging the following measures be prioritised in the Autumn statement:
- Boost government and private sector spending on research and development, through an increase in R&D tax credits, and expansion of government programmes, such as Innovate UK and Catapult.
- Provide government support to encourage a step change in electrical and heat storage. For electricity, battery technology has the potential to revolutionise the UK’s energy model by allowing renewable energy to be stored and deployed at any time and the renewable heat initiative harnesses energy reduction and wasted heat costs.
- Introduce a centralised digital government procurement portal and payment platform, to enable public sector clients to manage the supply chain, with the aim of improving payment practices, market stability, collaboration and transparency.
- Exempt new investment by small and medium sized firms into their places of work and working methods (e.g. in BIM initiatives, broadband, or solar panels and energy storage) from consideration in business rates to facilitating enhanced business infrastructure.
Implementing these measures will help to position the UK as a world-leader in R&D, clean energy and in the digital commercial revolution.
