58 • BUSINESS & FINANCE
PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE
Golden opportunity to go purple
»»
UK BUSINESS HAS A GOLDEN opportunity to access the £ 212bn annual disability market through the Government’ s Disability Confident scheme, according to disability equality champion Mike Adams OBE.
The Chief Executive of not-forprofit organisation Purple says the Government’ s re-launch of its Disability Confident scheme is providing businesses with the opportunity to relook at disability differently and help them access the disability market, or‘ Purple Pound’, which is worth £ 212bn a year to the UK.
The Disability Confident scheme aims to support the government’ s overall strategy to reduce the disability employment gap. It has been running since 2013 and was re-launched by the minister for disabled people Penny Mordaunt MP last November.
Chief Executive of Purple, Mike Adams, said:“ It’ s unacceptable that in 2016, being disabled makes you twice as likely to live in poverty. Just 49 per cent of the UK’ s
11.5m disabled people are currently in work, compared to 82 per cent of nondisabled people. This has a real impact on the quality of life of disabled people, as well as on the British economy, which is providing financial support rather than receiving incoming funds through taxable earnings.
“ Business is finally starting to realise the benefits of having a diverse workforce with the‘ Purple Pound’ in the UK worth £ 212bn a year. The re-launch of Disability Confident is a golden opportunity for business to become Purple and access this lucrative market through inclusive employment strategies.”
Purple’ s research previously found almost half of UK businesses( 45 per cent) are apprehensive about hiring someone with a disability because of fears they won’ t be able to do the job.
It is now working with business to combat these misconceptions and develop inclusive employment strategies.
Purple also simultaneously works with disabled people offering employment support, as well as a specialist recruitment portal matching skilled disabled workers with employers. The organisation aims to help more than 20,000 disabled people to find permanent jobs over the next decade.
For more information on Purple and the research findings, or to download its Disability Confident brochure for business, go to www. wearepurple. org. uk.
ANNUAL HOUSING MARKET FORECAST
»»
HOUSE PRICES IN THE UK WILL SEE an average increase of 3 % over the course of the next year as the number of transactions stabilises, according to the RICS housing forecast for 2017.
Following on from the 2016 forecast, the supply pipeline or lack of it is at the forefront of the analysis and dominates the residential market. While there is an improvement, the legacy of building on an insufficient scale has left the average inventory on estate agents books close to a historic low *.
Looking forward, transaction activity will stabilise and is likely to come in between 1.15 and 1.2 million, a little below the 1.25 million likely to be recorded for the whole of 2016. The prediction for 2017 reflects the trend over recent months.
East Anglia is likely to continue its trend during 2016 and alongside the North West and West Midlands is likely to record gains higher than the national average. Meanwhile, prices in Central London look set to stabilise after recent declines, with support provided by the weaker exchange rate encouraging foreign buyers.
Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist, commented:
“ Although recent announcements by the government on housing are very welcome, the ongoing shortfall of stock across much of the sales and lettings markets is set to continue to underpin prices and rents. As a result, the affordability challenge will remain very much to the fore for many. Meanwhile the lack of existing inventory in the market is impacting the ability of households to move and will contribute toward transaction activity over the whole of 2017 being a little lower that in the year just ending.”
Jeremy Blackburn, RICS Head of Policy, commented:
“ The Housing White Paper will be a defining moment in January, to see if more radical thinking in Whitehall is a reality. The proposed ban on lettings agents’ fees, and the unintended consequences of such a blunt policy, will also be a strong feature of the year ahead.
“ Whilst the system based on large, private housing developers and homes for owner occupation has increased house building, it’ s not delivering. The UK needs a co-ordinated strategy for building across tenures, using all of the delivery and technology mechanisms at our disposal.
abooth @ rics. org
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL. CO. UK | JAN / FEB 2017 Sponsored by Burg-Wächter