Employer confidence is critical, and free cyber security consultations are being offered to SMEs
Whilst the government has promised to deliver a package of reforms for the construction industry, the NAO has warned this will only be successful if training is invested in. And, it’s not often you get something for nothing, but SMEs are being offered free, 30 minute cyber security consultations.
NAO says employer confidence is critical to construction skills package’s success
The government has promised a package of reforms for the construction industry, but a new report from the National Audit Office has warned that its success could be at risk.
The government’s ambitions to build 1.5 million homes, upgrade home energy standards and deliver a £725 billion long-term infrastructure pipeline will depend on a significant expansion of the construction workforce.
There must be a stronger employer involvement in training the next generation of workers for it to work. The NAO warns that employers continue to be affected by challenging economic conditions that could put the success of the skills package and wider building commitments at risk.
The watchdog examined the government’s progress in delivering its £625 million construction skills package, announced in March 2025, which aims to support up to 60,000 more construction workers by 2029. The package combines tried and tested initiatives alongside newer ideas, including Skills Bootcamps, new foundation apprenticeships and construction technical excellence colleges.
The NAO points out that there are flaws. The package is not designed to meet all future workforce needs, with government estimates showing that between 201,000 and 755,000 extra workers could be required by 2030, before accounting for those who leave the sector for other jobs.
This comes as statistics show the construction sector had the highest rate of hard-to-fill vacancies due to skills shortages – 45% compared with a 27% national average.
Businesses make recruitment and training decisions depending on the expected pipeline of work, costs and market competition. Tough economic conditions are affecting employers’ confidence to invest and take on new employees and apprentices. In 2024, employer investment in training per construction trainee was at its lowest level in 10 years.
The National Audit Report could be found here: https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/increasing-construction-skills/
Free, hands-on cyber consultancy available for SMEs
Cyber Advisors are offering free 30-minute consultations to help small businesses get started with cybersecurity.
As smaller businesses become more frequently targeted, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is reiterating the need for them to be more robust in their approach to digital security. It’s aware that investing in cyber security can seem more like a costly distraction than a priority for smaller companies as they concentrate on keeping customers happy, managing cash flow and day-to-day business.
The NCSC points to the statistics. In 2025, 65% of medium and 46% of small organisations reported a cyber breach or attack. The problem is that Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) see cybersecurity as too complicated, too expensive and don’t address the real-world risks that small businesses face.
Many Cyber Advisors are now offering a free 30-minute consultationfor SMEs that are looking to get started with Cyber Essentials, the government’s baseline for cybersecurity.
This no-strings-attached introductory consultation provides businesses with an opportunity to ask questions and get an explanation of how the five steps that make up Cyber Essentials can be applied to your organisation using practical, achievable implementations.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) introduced Cyber Advisors in 2023, a network of cybersecurity consultants who’ve been assured by the NCSC to work specifically with smaller organisations.
More information on the free consultation can be found here: https://iasme.co.uk/cyber-advisor/free-advice/
HMRC is watching you
Companies and individuals that are careless or even illegal in their tax affairs need to watch out. New figures show that HMRC has paid out £1.4 million in rewards to whistleblowers of tax illegality.
A record number of reports were made to HMRC in the 2025-26 tax year, hitting 170,992.
The last Budget saw the government strengthen a reward scheme for tip-offs. Payouts only go to tips that lead HMRC to recover more than £1.5 million in tax. Informants now receive between 15% and 30% of the value of the extra tax collected.
Recent HMRC figures on the tax gap – the difference between the tax owed and the amount actually collected – showed that small businesses made up the largest share of uncollected tax, two-thirds of the £59.2 billion shortfall.
HMRC have also just released a two-minute YouTube video as a ‘general explainer’ on the scheme. It is aimed at employees, family members, friends or acquaintances of high-net-worth individuals or businesses engaged in suspected serious tax evasion or avoidance. It sets out what the scheme is, what rewards eligible informants could receive and how any information provided may help HMRC to tackle the tax gap and fund vital public services.
The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsmzQR-Uhqc
Should you be unsure of your tax position and need advice, please get in contact. We’re here to help.
Rules of Origin under the UK-India Free Trade Agreement
The new UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) promises to create new opportunities for businesses to strengthen trade links with India, according to the government.
To benefit from the agreement’s preferential tariff rates, it is important to understand the rules of origin, which determine whether goods qualify for preferential tariffs. Businesses must also register with HMRC if they are planning to complete origin declarations for exports under the FTA.
Businesses should be aware that it’s not all good news. While the FTA is between the world’s fifth and sixth largest economies and removes or reduces tariffs on 99% of Indian exports to the UK and 90% of UK imports into India, the details are complex.
Trade experts believe that the overall impact of the deal could be incremental rather than transformational.
Data reported by the BBC show that India exported $13.4 billion worth of goods to the UK in 2025-2026, but more than half of these exports already came into the UK duty-free under its most favoured nation regime. On the import side, India imported $11.7 billion from the UK, but over 45% consisted of silver.
What are the Rules of Origin?
Rules of origin determine whether a product is considered to originate in the UK or India for trade purposes. Only goods that meet the agreement’s rules of origin are eligible for the preferential tariff rates. Businesses need to review their supply chains, sourcing arrangements and origin documentation to ensure they are ready to benefit when trading under the agreement and benefit from reduced or zero tariffs.
If your business exports goods to India or is exploring new opportunities in the market, the government recommends checking whether the products meet the rules of origin requirements and registering with HMRC to complete origin declarations.
If you do not register, your origin declarations will be rejected, and your importer will not be able to claim the preferential tariff rates available under the agreement.
To find out more, go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-to-complete-origin-declarations-under-the-uk-india-free-trade-agreement
New UK investment fund
Investors representing over $3 trillion of assets under management from across North America, the Gulf, Asia and Australia will participate in InvestConnect, a new UK investment fund. Aimed at connecting the UK’s nations and regions to trillions of pounds of global capital, the new platform was developed in consultation with professional investors, government partners and the UK’s nations and regions.
Touted as “… a trusted, AI-enabled platform”, somehow the technology will help “… package opportunities, standardise information and connect global capital with credible UK investment opportunities”.
Launched at the Chancellor’s annual Mansion House dinner, the new digital investor-led platform is being developed by InvestConnect Global Limited in partnership with the City of London Corporation. Cornwall Council, the Scottish Government and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have become the platform’s first Founding Opportunity Partners.
The argument is that while there is a global appetite to invest in the UK, opportunities have been seen as fragmented and inconsistently presented, making them difficult for investors to access and compare.
The new investment platform is expected to launch in Autumn 2026 and will initially focus on large-scale infrastructure and real asset opportunities, typically representing transactions of £100 million or more.