Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 7 March to 20 March 2022

These questions are for Wave 52 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on the 7th of March 2022. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Which of the following statements best describes your business's trading status?

• Currently fully trading

• Currently partially trading

• Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks

• Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks

• Permanently ceased trading

Please explain the reason for your business's paused trading status

• Comments

Has your business made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Were these changes to supply chains made as a result of a new UK trade agreement?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

In which of the following ways has your business changed supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period?

• Expanding to different modes of freight

• Increasing the diversity in suppliers

• Moving the supply chain away from the short straits crossings

• Using more UK suppliers

• Using more EU suppliers

• Using more non-EU suppliers

• Other

• Not sure

Has your business had any extra costs due to the end of the EU transition period?

• Additional transportation costs

• Costs associated with changing supply chains

• Costs associated with the storage of goods

• Costs due to increased red tape

• Costs incurred from wasted goods

• Cost of setting up EU subsidiaries

• Extra costs in the prices of goods and services imported

• Extra tariffs or taxes

• Other

• Not sure

• No extra costs

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from the EU over the last month?

• Yes, the business has been able to get the materials, goods or services it needed

• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

• No, the business has not been able to get the materials, goods or services needed

• Not applicable

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK over the last month?

• Yes, the business has been able to get the materials, goods or services it needed

• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

• No, the business has not been able to get the materials, goods or services needed

• Not applicable

How did the prices of materials, goods or services bought by your business change over the last month, compared with normal price fluctuations?

• Prices increased more than normal
• Prices did not change any more than normal

• Prices decreased more than normal

• Some prices increased, some prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain the reason for selecting your previous answer

• Comments

How did the prices of goods or services sold by your business change over the last month, compared with normal price fluctuations?

• Prices increased more than normal

• Prices did not change any more than normal

• Prices decreased more than normal

• Some prices increased, some prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain the reason for selecting your previous answer

• Comments

Has your business had an increase in demand for goods or services sold over the last month?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Has your business been affected by recent increases in energy prices?

• Yes, production has been affected

• Yes, suppliers have been affected

• Yes, both production and suppliers have been affected

• No, my business has not been affected

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Are your business's electricity costs fixed or hedged?

• Yes, expiring by March 2022

• Yes, expiring by June 2022

• Yes, expiring after June 2022

• No, electricity prices are variable

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Are your business's gas costs fixed or hedged?

• Yes, expiring by March 2022

• Yes, expiring by June 2022

• Yes, expiring after June 2022

• No, gas prices are variable

• Not sure

• Not applicable

In which of the following ways, if any, has your business been affected by price rises?

• Discontinued lines of sale

• Had to absorb costs

• Had to change suppliers

• Had to make redundancies

• Had to pass on price increases to customers

• Had to reduce staff work hours

• Unable to maintain workspaces

• Other

• Not sure

• My business has not been affected by price rises

Has your business sent goods from GB to Northern Ireland in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

What route did your business mainly use, over the last 12 months, to send goods from GB to Northern Ireland?

• From GB direct to Northern Ireland

• From GB via Republic of Ireland

• Other

• Not sure

Over the last month, has the volume of goods your business would normally send from GB to Northern Ireland changed?

• Volume has increased

• Volume has stayed the same

• Volume has decreased

• Stopped sending goods to Northern Ireland

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about why the volume of goods sent from GB to Northern Ireland changed over the last month

• Comments

Has your business sent goods from Northern Ireland to GB in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Over the last month, has the volume of goods your business would normally send from Northern Ireland to GB changed?

• Volume has increased

• Volume has stayed the same

• Volume has decreased

• Stopped sending goods to GB

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about why the volume of goods sent from Northern Ireland to GB changed over the last month

• Comments

How do your business's stock levels over the last month compare to normal expectations for this time of year?

• Stock levels are higher than normal

• Stock levels have not changed

• Stock levels are lower than normal

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Over the last month, what has had the greatest impact to your business's stock levels?

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

• End of the EU transition period

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the end of the EU transition period

• Other

• Not sure

Is your business stockpiling any goods or materials?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

How does your business's capital expenditure for the last two weeks compare to normal expectations for this time of year?

• Capital expenditure is higher than normal

• Capital expenditure has not been affected

• Capital expenditure is lower than normal

• Capital expenditure has stopped

• Not sure

• Not applicable

What was the main reason for this change in your business's capital expenditure?

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

• End of the EU transition period

• Super-deduction

• Other

• Not sure

Please explain in more detail how your business's capital expenditure has been affected

• Comments

How do you expect the super-deduction allowance to affect your business's capital expenditure in the next three months?

• Capital expenditure will increase

• Capital expenditure will remain the same

• Capital expenditure will decrease

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Over the last month, has your business scrapped any capital assets earlier than intended?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please explain in more detail what type of assets your business scrapped early and why

• Comments

Does your business manufacture, import, or distribute products that require either a CE marking or the new UKCA marking?

• Yes, we manufacture products that need a CE or UKCA marking

• Yes, we import products that need a CE or UKCA marking

• Yes, we distribute products that need a CE or UKCA marking

• Not sure

• No, we do not manufacture, import or distribute products that need a CE or UKCA marking

Are you aware that most CE marked products need to be UKCA marked from 1 January 2023?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Is your business using, or intending to use, the UKCA marking by 1 January 2023?

• Already using UKCA marking

• Not aware of, or do not know how to meet, requirements for the UKCA

• Not using the UKCA marking, but plan to by 1 January 2023

• Will not use UKCA marking, as not relevant to our products or business

• Not sure

In the last two weeks, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were:

• Using a hybrid model of working

• Working from home

• Working from a designated workspace

• On sick leave or not working due to coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, self-isolation or quarantine

• Made permanently redundant

• Other

Is your business providing regular coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for its workforce?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

What percentage of your workforce are receiving regular coronavirus (COVID-19) testing?

• Approximate percentage of your workforce receiving regular testing

• Not sure

Is your business collecting, or intending to collect, contact details for the purpose of contact tracing at your sites?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Is your business currently experiencing a shortage of workers?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How has the shortage of workers affected your business?

• Employees working increased hours

• Had to pause trading entirely

• Had to pause trading of some of the business

• Had to recruit temporary workers

• Unable to meet demands

• Other

• Not sure

• My business has not been affected

How does your business's ability to fill vacancies over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Vacancies were easier to fill

• No difference in the ability to fill vacancies

• Vacancies were more difficult to fill

• Did not have any vacancies to fill

• Not sure

Why did your business find filling vacancies more difficult, over the last month, compared with normal expectations for this of year?

• Business cannot offer an attractive pay package to applicants

• Increased number of vacancies for other reasons

• Lack of qualified applicants for the roles on offer

• Low number of applications for the roles on offer

• Reduced number of applicants aged 16 to 24 years

• Reduced number of applicants aged over 50 years

• Reduced number of EU applicants

• Other

• Not sure

How has the number of workers from within the EU at your business changed, compared with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Number of workers from within the EU has increased

• We employ workers from within the EU, and the number has stayed the same

• Number of workers from within the EU has decreased

• Not relevant, as have not employed workers from within the EU

• Not sure

• Prefer not to say

How has the number of workers from outside the EU at your business changed, compared with normal expectations for this time of year?

• Number of workers from outside the EU has increased

• We employ workers from outside the EU, and the number has stayed the same

• Number of workers from outside the EU has decreased

• Not relevant, as have not employed workers from outside the EU

• Not sure

• Prefer not to say

Please tell us anything else about your business's current situation relating to topics covered in this survey

• Comments