In what it says is a response to recent ‘confusing messaging’ from the devolved governments, The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has launched a new tool for the industry, which aims to provide clarity to tradespeople in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in relation to current trading restrictions, by country.
The new ‘COVID status checker’ can be found on the BiKBBI news page (www.bikbbi.org.uk/bikbbi-news) and clarifies the current status for each country for both domestic and construction settings. The website also links to the relevant pages within the respective government websites to aid understanding of responsibility.
BiKBBI CEO Damian Walters said: “While I think it’s fair to say that the government has done a great job in many respects relating to this pandemic, the lack of cohesion between England, Scotland and Wales, especially on the subject of the differences in social restrictions has been less than satisfactory. Messaging for the thousands of tradespeople out there needs to be clearer, more consistent and better aligned between the devolved powers, or else this pandemic will not only have health implications, but also impact greatly on SME livelihoods”.
Walters has previously been vocal about frustrations relating to mixed messaging from the devolved governments in relation to Coronavirus restrictions placed upon tradespeople, and the BiKBBI has revealed that he recently raised this topic at a meeting with the newly appointed Secretary of State at The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Kwasi Kwarteng.
The BiKBBI says that the COVID status checker system, which is free to access by anyone, will be updated upon new guidance and reviewed daily.
