Transport Scotland has reappointed Turner & Townsend, in collaboration with PwC, Waterman and WSP, to provide the audit and monitoring service in relation to the technical, financial, and commercial management of the maintenance and improvement of the Scottish Trunk Road Network.  The appointment is for six years with options to extend up to a maximum of a further four years.

The multi-disciplinary team was established as the Performance Audit Group (PAG), to carry out detailed audit and monitoring activities of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) contractors for the Scottish Trunk Road Network. The latest appointment expands PAG’s existing remit to cover the Design-Build-Finance-Operate (DBFO) contract for the M8/M73/M74 along with the Traffic Scotland Operations and Infrastructure Services Contract (TSOIS).

The Scottish Trunk Road Network spans the country linking rural communities and ferry ports with urban centres as well as providing cross-border access to the south. It forms part of a transport framework that underpins the economic and social growth of the nation.

Steve Jackson, Director, Turner & Townsend said: “The Scottish Trunk Road Network makes a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy by keeping its people and places connected. It requires a true partnership approach with Transport Scotland and the operating companies to maintain standards along these vital routes. We are delighted to lead the PAG team which brings together the combined expertise of Turner & Townsend, PwC, Waterman and WSP.”

Lindsey Paterson, Risk partner at PwC said: “The Scottish Trunk Road Network is a vital part of our infrastructure and through this collaborative approach to maintenance and management of the network, we can help ensure it keeps Scotland connected.”

Daryl Fossett, Waterman’s Regional Operations Director for Scotland, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Turner & Townsend and the wider project team in support of Scotland’s highways operation, auditing and maintenance programme. Working in close collaboration, together we are helping to ensure that communities and businesses across Scotland remain connected and accessible via a safe and efficient road network.”

Andrew Blanch, Technical Director, WSP said: “It’s fantastic to be part of the PAG team supporting Turner & Townsend. Our WSP local teams in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth will bring world class expertise in maintenance, asset management.

Lockdown saw many people having to work remotely and although there are some key benefits to working from home, it isn’t without its troubles. Just because we aren’t in physical contact with our bosses and colleagues, doesn’t mean that bullying in the workplace has gone away.

Toxic behaviour, offensive language and threatening attitudes can still reach people remotely, whether that’s via email, video calls or social media and when the bullying is coming from colleagues rather than strangers or acquaintances, it’s not so easy to cut it off.

What is remote bullying

Remote bullying comes in many forms and sometimes you might not even realise that it’s bullying behaviour, even though it has a profound effect on your mental health. If you’ve experienced any of the below, then you should think about whether you may have been on the receiving end of bullying.

• Being excluded from social events, meetings, or important decision making
• Offensive or intimidating language
• Sexual or gender harassment
• Gossip
• Colleagues or management persistently criticising your work

This kind of bullying behaviour, even when it’s done remotely, can have a serious effect on your mental health. Over time, it could start to affect your sleep patterns. Perhaps you’re suffering from insomnia because you’re feeling stressed or anxious and replay situations or conversations over in your mind. Or maybe the constant worry is causing you to have headaches and your self-confidence is at an all-time low.

Any form of bullying needs to be nipped in the bud. But it’s not always that simple as you might fear that reporting the behaviour could lose you your job or create even more animosity among colleagues. A study carried out by Harvard Business Review prior to covid-19 found that 52% of remote workers felt excluded from decision making and that their colleagues were lobbying against them. While this was carried out by an American organisation, it is likely that following the recent large rise in homeworking in the UK, a similar study carried out in the UK would have similar findings. If you think you are being remotely bullied, ACAS has some helpful information on dealing with bullying and other problems at work.

How to address bullying in the workplace

There are several ways for both the victim and the company to deal with workplace bullying. If you are the victim of bullying and you feel confident enough to resolve the issues with the bully directly, this could be an immediate solution. Sometimes they might not realise the distress that they are causing you and when confronted calmly, they might start to change their behaviour. However, if you don’t feel that this is an option then you should speak to someone in HR, management, or your trade union representative (if you have one) who will then need to deal with the situation. You can also call the free National Bullying Helpline if you need advice and support from somebody not linked to your workplace.

All companies should have a procedures in place that prevent workplace bullying and protect their staff. If the complaint can’t be initially dealt with informally, then further action must be taken.

If you’re an employer or manager, www.peoplemanagement.co.uk has a helpful article for employers tackling bullying of remote workers.

There is also lots of helpful information on the UK government’s website as well as on the ACAS website (link provided above).

If you have any questions or queries regarding our service or resources, please contact us on 0845-872-1780 or by email at info@firstpsychology-assistance.co.uk. Our team are available during normal working hours and we would be delighted to help you”

Leading Scottish law firm Thorntons has welcomed five new solicitors in a move that signals its continuing growth and expansion.

Among the new appointments are legal directors Karen Cornwell, in Dispute Resolution and Claims and Ruth Pyatt in Wills, Trusts and Succession Planning. Both directors will be based in Thorntons’ Dundee office.

Karen said: “I am delighted to have joined Thorntons. The Dispute Resolution and Claims Team provides an interesting, varied, quality case load and I’m particularly looking forward to working alongside talented colleagues in one Scotland’s largest and most respected full-service legal and property firms.

“Whilst I will be primarily based between my home in Elie and our Dundee office, I will also have the opportunity to work out of our other offices including our locations in St Andrews, Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow.”

Corporate Solicitor Aadil Anwar will also be based in the Dundee office, while Corporate Solicitor Sabihah Ahmed and Andrew Wallace, an Associate in the Employment team, will work primarily from Thorntons’ Edinburgh location.

Colin Graham, Chair at Thorntons, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome these five brilliant solicitors to Thorntons as we continue to grow our client list and expand our team in a number of areas of legal practice. It’s also great to note the variety of legal expertise our new directors, associates and solicitors are bringing with them.

“We look forward to introducing our new colleagues to our clients and continuing to provide our first-class service.”

For more information on Thorntons Solicitors, visit: https://www.thorntons-law.co.uk/

Drum Major, George Blair, and Tattoo dancer, Louise Barton help reveal The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s bold and exciting new brand proposition, Performance in a New Light 

The Tattoo reveals a refreshed brand approach ahead of the Show’s return with senior hires, new creative direction, and increased investment

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has unveiled a bold and exciting new brand proposition as it prepares to return bigger and better than ever before.

Under a new brand ethos, Performance in a New Light, the Tattoo signals its commitment to delivering the best entertainment experience and its brand vision going forward.

Performance in a New Light encapsulates changes the Tattoo has undertaken over several months of planning and preparation, and includes the introduction of a new ticketing system, fresh membership packages and increased investment into creative elements of the Show, including new lighting, projection and staging.

The new ticket platform, in partnership with SecuTix, will include mobile ticketing for the first time and a new digital view finder that allows guests to choose their seats with a virtual, 360-degree panoramic view of the iconic Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.

Similarly, a new agreement with Woodroffe Basset Design will deliver the latest in cutting edge lighting design and bring a fresh feel to the Tattoo performance, allowing newly appointed Creative Director Michael Braithwaite to produce a more emotionally charged performance than ever before.

Audiences will also have access to a range of new membership packages, designed to enable fans to keep up to date with the Tattoo through exclusive content and access all year round – including an early bird booking window, retail offers and members only events.

To support the new brand direction, the Tattoo has appointed several senior managers and new Board Members. Chief Executive Buster Howes and Creative Director Michael Braithwaite are joined by Jason Barrett, who takes on the role of Chief Operating Officer, while Andrew Kerr OBE, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, Tricia Bey, founder of Barwheys Dairy, Chris Edmonds, Chair and UK Executive Vice President of Ticketmaster and Lee Roberts, Managing Director of Canvas Partnerships, join the Board.

Chief Executive, Buster Howes, said: “Performance in a New Light marks a new era for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and I greatly look forward to the hard work of the past many months finally finding tangible and musical expression in the Show in 2022.

“We have, whilst the Esplanade has been dark, set out to reinvigorate who and what we are, and to develop a fresh, bold and dynamic brand that will deliver an even more thrilling event for our audiences.

“Whilst preserving that which makes the Tattoo iconic and unique, we will be increasingly innovative with the Show; we are investing more in its production and have recruited new Board members and world-class appointments to our Management team to imaginatively enable these exciting developments.”

Chairman, Peter Lederer, said: “This is a bold, refreshed approach for the Tattoo as we all look ahead to the Show’s return next summer.

“I’m very proud of the resilience and creativity shown by the whole team as we bounce back from the challenges of the Pandemic and help to play our part in the recovery of the wider live events industry.

“The increased investment in production, and enhancements to both the senior team and the Board, underpin an increasingly innovative and creative ethos, which will surely find expression in a Show to surprise and delight both established and new audiences in 2022 and beyond.”

While the annual Show will continue to have distinct themes, the Tattoo brand will focus on delivering Performance in a New Light year on year as part of its new, long-term vision.

More information on the membership packages can be found here:edintattoo.co.uk/membership

Bus operator receives Good Practice Award

Lothian is delighted to be among 35 businesses from across Scotland chosen to receive a Good Practice Award in the 2021 VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards.

The VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards rewards, recognises and promotes environmental best practice that brings benefits to business and the wider community.

As one of Scotland’s leading transport operators, Lothian’s easy-access fleet is among the most modern and environmentally-friendly in the UK and now includes the city’s first zero-carbon electric double decker buses.

We have invested over £78 million since 2011 in a bid to reduce our emissions, and during this period, more than 300 vehicles have been replaced with more efficient, lower emission vehicles. Our Bus 2020 strategy was developed and implemented with the aim of achieving a wide range of environmentally focused goals, including a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 42%, as well as a significant reduction in energy consumption, water use and waste generation. Bus 2020 also resulted in the removal of over 12,000 tonnes of CO2, 50 tonnes of NOx and 280kg of particulate matter from our operations.

Building on Bus 2020, we are working more closely with Green Tourism to develop a new innovative and forward-thinking strategy which will include an evaluative online ‘Sustainability Assessment’ platform which has been designed to allow us to demonstrate our environmental performance to internal and external stakeholders in real-time. This will enable Lothian to prioritise actions in key areas to develop a robust sustainability framework going forward from 2021.

Claire McVicar, Environmental Officer for Lothian, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised by VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards, particularly this year given the COP26 summit will be held in Scotland and world leaders will be descending on Glasgow at the end of the month to set out their plans on tackling runaway climate change.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, we worked tirelessly to keep Edinburgh moving and our customers and colleagues safe, and were still able to fulfil a significant order for additional Euro 6 buses, allowing us to remove some of our older vehicles from the fleet.

“Our vision is to be an integral part of the future success of Edinburgh and the Lothians by providing world class environmentally-friendly and socially inclusive transport. We will continue to invest in technology – and people – to make sure our services exceed the needs and expectations of our customers as we work towards the City of Edinburgh Council’s goal of becoming a net-zero carbon organisation by 2030.”

A virtual awards ceremony to congratulate all of the award winners took place on Tuesday 19 October 2021 at 10.30am.

Surgeons Quarter Travel invites Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce members to attend their Travel Showcase taking place on Thursday 4 November 2021 between 1pm and 6pm. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with leading representatives within the travel industry including Sandals Resorts and Royal Caribbean Cruises to name a few. The Surgeons Quarter Travel Team will also be on hand to share their expertise when booking your next business or leisure trip.

The ‘drop-in’ event will be held in the Prince Phillip Building at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and lunch will be provided with refreshments available throughout the afternoon. Guests will also be in with a chance of winning some exciting prizes.

If you have any questions about the event or wish to contact the Travel Team for any holiday or business booking please call: 0131 527 1737 or email: sqtravel.co.uk

Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s bustling city centre, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian boasts a unique selection of delicious dining experiences to captivate Edinburgh visitors and locals alike.

Guests looking to savour the Autumn season in Edinburgh will find an array of unforgettable dining experiences at Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian. New to the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh this year, Dean Banks at The Pompadour offers visitors a unique sensory experience like no other. Masterchef: The Professionals finalist, Dean Banks, offers guests an evening of modern fine dining, engaging all five senses, and celebrating the best of Scottish produce from land and sea. The constantly evolving 7-course tasting menu features sustainable, local flavours from Edinburgh, Fife and beyond. To learn more about Dean Banks at The Pompadour, visit www.deanbanks.co.uk.

Open daily for Afternoon Tea, guests can relax in the historic heart of the hotel, Peacock Alley. In celebration of Edinburgh Cocktail Week, Peacock Alley’s traditional afternoon tea service will be enhanced with the inclusion of two Tanqueray Gin cocktails, becoming the only afternoon tea experience in this year’s selection of Prestige Cocktails. The Edinburgh Cocktail Week Afternoon Tea will be available for £40 per person from October 11-24, 2021. To reserve this experience, guests can book online and quote ‘Cocktail Week’ in the booking notes, or call 0131 222 8832.

In addition to a variety of new dining experiences this year, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian has introduced a sustainable meeting program to promote carbon neutral gatherings at the hotel. Hilton’s Carbon Offset Promise includes a variety of environmentally-friendly meeting solutions including digital room keys, sustainable meal options and the elimination of single use plastics. Organizations can also receive a bespoke meeting report outlining the meeting’s potential carbon, energy, water and waste production, and offset meeting emissions by procuring a carbon offset credit from the South Pole Group. For more information about sustainable meeting at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, please contact events.caledonian@waldorfastoria.com.

To learn more about the unforgettable dining and unique meeting options at Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian, please visit www.thecaledonian.waldorfastoria.com or call 0131 222 8888.

• Reduce carbon emission intensity for £250bn investment portfolio by at least 50% by 2030
• Expected to deliver reductions equivalent to the annual emissions of heating over 6 million homes or a quarter of all homes in UK¹
• Investment portfolio includes £160bn of pension investments that will be contributing to this reduction, helping millions of people to invest in the future they want to live in
• Phoenix Group convening an event to drive forward industry collaboration and action to tackle climate change and join Make My Money Matter campaign

Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business, today announces they have set both 2025 and 2030 carbon intensity reduction targets for their investment portfolio. These interim targets are part of Phoenix Group’s pathway to achieving net zero carbon for investments by 2050 in line with their science-based targets commitments, and are a key element of their overall approach to Responsible Investment.

The new targets will reduce carbon emission intensity by at least 50% by 2030 and will apply to the £250bn of investments where Phoenix Group have control and influence. Phoenix Group estimate that once achieved, the impact of the 2030 target they are setting will deliver carbon reductions equivalent to the annual emissions of heating over 6 million homes, or a quarter of all homes in the UK².

Within the £250bn, some £160bn is invested in pension funds, spanning customers of Standard Life, Phoenix Life and Reassure, who are all part of Phoenix Group. Phoenix Group’s insight shows that responsible investment and climate change are important considerations for many customers, and they are working with their investment partners to help their customers invest in a responsible way, while managing risk and achieving good investment outcomes when they come to retire. Phoenix Group have around 13 million customers, many of whom are pension savers.

At the same time Phoenix Group announce a partnership with Make My Money Matter and pledge their support to their campaign to build a better future. Phoenix Group are committed to building a green and sustainable future, and to using their position as a large asset owner to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the investment ecosystem. Like the Make My Money Matter campaign, Phoenix Group recognise that we all have a role to play and that true collaboration is at the heart of the journey to net zero.

On 19 October 2021, Phoenix Group will therefore be hosted a public, virtual event to drive forward the investment debate and the positive action needed to tackle climate change.

Richard Curtis, filmmaker and Co-Founder of Make My Money Matter, joined Phoenix’s Group Chief Executive Andy Briggs to discuss the power of pensions and how to accelerate the action needed to make net zero investment portfolios a reality. The event also convened a panel discussion with some of Phoenix Group’s asset management partners (abrdn, BlackRock and Invesco) to explore the practicalities of decarbonising investment portfolios, and a discussion with the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance, the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financial (PCAF), Climate Action 100+ and Make My Money Matter on how to collaborate to move towards a net zero financial ecosystem.

Andy Briggs, Group CEO of Phoenix Group, commented:

“At Phoenix Group we have set an ambition to lead the way on Responsible Investment and to drive forward action to support the transition to a zero carbon economy. Setting interim near term targets is an important milestone on our journey to our investments becoming net zero by 2050 or earlier, to which I am personally committed. Within this, some £160bn of assets invested for our pension customers are going on that journey with us.

“Investing responsibly is also about encouraging good corporate governance practices and positively contributing to environmental and wider societal issues, while managing risk and ensuring good outcomes for customers. We have been working with government and our industry to influence legislation that will enable our entire industry to invest more in sustainable assets.

“With just 20% of the world’s largest public companies having committed to net zero targets, and only a quarter of these pledges passing basic robustness tests³, we are encouraging others to take action and set near term targets in line with the climate science too. We will be working with partners in the financial ecosystem and the many companies we invest in to encourage wider uptake of robust net zero aligned pledges and plans.”

“We will continue to drive forward action and by partnering with Make My Money Matter, we hope to inform the debate, harness the power of pensions, and support the case for further change as we approach COP26.”

Andrew Griffith, UK Net Zero Business COP Champion, said:

“We are putting businesses at the heart of our net zero ambitions, so it is fantastic to see companies like Phoenix Group showing leadership by setting clear targets for reducing their carbon emissions.

“With the UN COP26 summit in Glasgow less than a month away, I hope this type of bold action will encourage other businesses to work with government and make similar commitments as we build back greener.”

Also commenting on Phoenix Group’s commitment, Richard Curtis, Co-Founder at Make My Money Matter said:

“Pensions used to be the last thing I’d ever talk about – the worst thing to bring up over lunch

– but with announcements like these from Phoenix Group, they’re fast becoming the first, because they’re such a powerful tool in changing the world. Phoenix Group’s pledge to halve their carbon this decade sets the pace for other pension providers ahead of COP26, and with an additional £160bn now working towards tackling the climate crisis – not fuelling the fire – their pledge proves how powerful our pensions can be.

“That’s the good news – but there’s still nearly £2tr in UK pension schemes that don’t align with the Paris Climate Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C – and this has to change. I hope leadership like this by Phoenix Group encourages others across the industry to step up to the plate fast and make robust net zero commitments ahead of COP, so we can all have pensions to be proud of. With sustainable pensions, we can make sure our money helps build a healthy planet, as well as healthy returns.”

Interim targets towards net zero

In December 2020, Phoenix Group committed to their investment portfolio becoming net zero carbon by 2050 and this is aligned with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.

Phoenix Group recognise the importance of setting interim targets to ensure there is a clear pathway to their overall net zero objectives. The interim targets announced today will include:

• By 2025 – A reduction of 25% in the carbon emission intensity of their investments. This will cover all listed equity and credit assets where Phoenix Group can exercise control and influence (c£160bn)
• By 2030 – A reduction of at least 50% in the carbon emission intensity of their investments. This will cover all assets at a Group level where Phoenix can exercise control and influence (c£250bn)⁴.

In order to achieve the targets, Phoenix Group believe government policy, technology, consumer appetite and business response need to shift. Phoenix Group will be looking to play a leading role in informing the debate and supporting the case for change, and will keep their targets under regular review. Their net zero commitment includes decarbonisation of investment portfolios, investment in climate solutions, and engaging actively with investee companies to support and accelerate the transition of their business models. Phoenix Group’s approach is ‘engagement first’; divestment will always be their last resort if corporate management is not responsive, and they have a policy on specific exclusions.

Phoenix Group will be expressing emissions in terms of carbon intensity (i.e. tCO2e/£1m) rather than total absolute emissions, in line with industry standards for portfolio decarbonisation, and are committed to regular, public reporting against its targets. Last year they also set a target for their operation to be net zero carbon by 2025 and are on track to achieve this.

Responsible investment

Phoenix Group are making strong progress in comprehensively integrating environmental, social and governance (‘ESG’) considerations into their end-to-end investment strategy, risk management and governance processes. Their Responsible Investment strategy includes four pillars:

• Strategy and governance
• Stewardship
• ESG Integration
• Decarbonisation of investment portfolios

Phoenix Group invested over £700 million in sustainable assets in the first half of 2021 alone and recently provided £50 million in long-term financing to a not-for-profit Welsh Housing association to build around 1,000 new energy efficient, affordable homes. Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, launched a Sustainable Multi Asset Fund default fund for workplace pension clients and their scheme members in December last year. Standard Life are now looking to evolve their existing range of investment solutions to increase the ESG focus.

Phoenix Group have also launched a dedicated Venture Capital fund for policyholder funds with an initial allocation in excess of £100m which will be a key enabler to helping Build Britain Back Better, whilst providing policyholders with a diversified source of sustainable returns that will support Healthcare, Green Energy and FinTech entrepreneurs up and down the country. More information on Phoenix Group’s approach to Responsible Investment can be found here .

Contracts for Climate Change might sound a fairly uninspiring call to environmental action, and it is unlikely to be a slogan seen on any placards outside the COP 26 convention centre in Glasgow. But as a lawyer I would argue that binding carbon neutral practices into business relationships is just as important as global emissions targets. And the reality of climate risk for business means that waiting for governmental guidance to act is not an option.

The legal profession is being asked by its clients to make sure their businesses are protected, as far as is possible, from climate risk; and to help enforce sustainable behaviour in their industries.

Businesses cannot afford to not be seen to be adopting green practices into their contractual relationships. The UK and New Zealand became the first countries to say that compliance with the reporting requirements of the International Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) would become mandatory and therefore we are on the verge of a new climate focussed regulatory regime for business.

It is not only pressure from regulators that companies face, there is also the growing threat of climate change litigation. The total number of climate change cases has almost doubled since 2017. Whilst the majority of litigation is against governments, the number of claims against companies is on the rise. The range of allegations is diverse: from claims of greenwashing, inadequate disclosures, product liability, nuisance and fraud claims, to human rights arguments and allegations of procedural failures.

Traditional force majeure clauses, for example, will release a party from their obligations when faced with unforeseeable events such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods, but how does that clause operate where the frequency of those events is certainly increasing. It may be that a climate contract risk-sharing clause is now more appropriate to take a structured approach to the ever more common threat of disruptive weather events.

As companies race to make pledges of carbon neutrality by a prescribed date they need to consider not only their own emissions but also emissions from indirect sources in their supply chains. Carbon footprint reduction clauses request that the supplier reduces the carbon footprint associated with the performance of the contract. There is even the termination for greener supplier clause which gives the right to switch suppliers if an existing supplier is unable to match a ‘greener’ offer.

So, what can businesses do to ensure they are not only achieving their carbon emission goals, but also protected from climate risks:

• Review contracts with suppliers; are they bound to provide relevant information and held to appropriate climate-related standards
• Provide training to directors and officers on legal issues associated with climate risks
• Review supply chains to identify potential sources of business disruption due to the physical impacts of climate change and to minimise supply chain emissions
• Consider insurance coverage issues in light of climate-related exposure

The COP26 leaders will tell us what they plan to do at the macro level to try and slow the pace of climate change, but there is already action in the private business sphere as companies seek to preserve and protect relationships through contracts for climate change.

 

 

 

 

We are continuing engagement through the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and British Chambers of Commerce on national and UK-wide issues. Some of the issues we’ve been focusing on this quarter have included:

• The relaxation of Covid rules, and working with Scottish Government on new guidance to help businesses navigate the sometimes complex post-Covid landscape
• The proposals around Green Ports and Free Ports
• Issues around access to labour and supply chain issues, which are affecting many of our members
• Working with the UK Government to try and shape the levelling-up agenda
• In the run up to the UK hosting of COP26 in Glasgow, we have been working closely with BCC and SCC on preparations for COP, as well as more broadly on the sustainability agenda. This includes participating in British Chambers Climate Challenge group.
• We have also been feeding into preparations around the upcoming UK Budget