31st October 2021 – Member Update
Dear Member
UPDATE
Budget – Following the budget on Tuesday, we have been studying the Red Book as it is known (it’s red!) to see if any more detail can be gleaned following the various announcements by the Chancellor. It is still not entirely clear that the 50% rates relief (in England) will apply to arcades, but I would be very surprised if it didn’t given the language is the same as that used for the retail leisure and hospitality rates relief scheme during lockdown. Nevertheless, it is clear from the Red Book that the cap of £110k is per business, not per venue. We will be lobbying with Hospitality and Tourism colleagues to get this changed either by extending it to a per venue basis or, more likely by getting a significant uplift in the cap.
Customer Interaction – I am pleased to say we are getting great feedback on the new bactaPortal. Thank you for letting us know your thoughts. We have also had some helpful suggestions for improvements we can make in version 2 of the customer interaction and self-exclusion journeys and these are in our development plans. One thing we have had a number of calls about on the CI module is how can notes be kept about someone with whom a member of staff has not interacted. Customer Interaction is unfortunately not designed that way. An interaction has to be held and the Terms and Conditions signed before the interaction can be recorded. It is possible to save an already started interaction but it will still have to be completed in the same way.
SR Exchange – We are looking forward to seeing as many members and their staff as possible at the bacta SR Exchange on 10th November. Please see the below SR Exchange Registration Form to register.
SR-Exchange-Registration-2021.pdf (323 downloads )
Parliamentary Reception – You will recall our Parliamentary Reception is to be held on the evening before our annual Convention, namely Wednesday 24th November from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Over 30 MPs have already said they will attend and we will hear from the Tourism Minister, Nigel Huddleston. If you have not registered can you please do so by completing the below Registration Form and return to Sarah (sarahr@bacta.org.uk) (which can also be used for registering your attendance at the Convention). Also if you haven’t yet done so I attach (below) three template letters for AGC, FEC and Supply chain members to use to invite your local MP. Please copy me in with any letters you send.
Registration-Form-2021.docx (346 downloads ) AGCs-Template-Invitation.docx (324 downloads ) FEC-Template-Invitation.docx (360 downloads ) Supply-chain-template-invite-.docx (360 downloads )
New Staff – I hope you will have seen from the trade press that bacta this week welcomed Russell Edge to the bacta team as Membership, SR and Compliance Manager. I am sure you will give him a warm bacta welcome when you meet him over the coming weeks and months.
Kind regards
John