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EVENTS

8th June

It's probably true to say that coalition government is a strange concept to us all, but how quickly we have accepted it! Only a month ago Vince Cable was saying he hated the Tories, and an unnamed senior Tory was describing the Lib Dems as an irrelevant bunch of left wing, woolly headed activists with absolutely no chance of exercising power in his lifetime. Roll forward a month and what do we have? Vince Cable as the Secretary of State for Business in a Tory dominated government - well, well, well!! And he has had to hit the ground running.
On the evening of Friday 14 May, our new Secretary of State - relaxing in his Twickenham constituency - received a phoned call from the Treasury. Not from the Chancellor, but from the Chief Secretary, aka David Laws, the Lib MP for Yeovil. His party colleague told him that Department for Business Innovations and Skills had to find instant efficiency savings of nearly £1 bn to be announced to the country on Monday 24 May. What a way to start the weekend.
In the event the final figure was £836m, which represents nearly 4% of the department's total budget. How will they achieve that? In part by getting rid of programmes and quangoes that we don't like, so that is a good start. £74m will be cut from Regional Development Agenices. £200m from the Train to Gain programme, and £200m from internal efficiency savings. Mr Cable has also registered that we have our own Sector Skills Council (SfL). In a speech to the Logistics Leaders lunch on 21 May 2010, he expressed an interest in being briefed on SfL, which had SfL's CEO - Dr Mick Jackson - wriggling with delight.

All the indications are that UKWA's annual luncheon and awards ceremony will be a sellout. We passed the 400 mark a few days ago, and with a few weeks to go, and only 30 places left, those of you who have not yet booked - time is running out.
There may be slightly fewer UKWA members at the AGM which precedes the luncheon, but if you are able, please attend because we are seeking approval to make a significant, but necessary change in our constitution. Letters will be going out shortly from Walter House to alert you to a proposal to change UKWA from an unincorporated members' association to a company limited by guarantee. The change is being proposed to reduce the potential exposure to liability that presently exists for all members. It is a straightforward, but laborious process, but it is important that all members have the opportunity of being part of the decision. I look forward to meeting as many membes as possible at the AGM and, of course, at the Luncheon and Awards for Warehousing ceremony that follows it.
Roger Williams

CEO - UKWA