The IPO has started a communication effort directed towards small and medium-sized business enterprises (SME). The aim is to help business customers understand the financial impact of IP protection.

Intellectual property (IP) is especially important for new business start-ups. These may be unaware of their rights or the financial risks to their products and brands.

There are simple and positive actions IPO are asking you to take, to make sure you secure your work. We strongly recommend you join our social media support and register for exclusive business updates by email.

Our IPO website also has more information on things that will help your own business strategy:

• view our easy access video series

• linking up to our benefits and IP for business tools

• sign up for an IPO masterclass or for an IPO event near you

• detailed information and specialist guidance

Updated guidance on the new tax consultation timetable, published today (6 December 2017), will give businesses and tax professionals greater clarity by setting out how the consultation process will work when there is just one fiscal event each year – an Autumn Budget.

This new guidance sets out how the timetable will allow for more opportunities for the government to consult with stakeholders at early stages of policy making, including by launching consultations at the Spring Statement. The plans it sets out mean that businesses and tax professionals will have more time to consider and adapt to upcoming changes ahead of the tax year in which they will take effect. And they will give Parliament more time to scrutinise draft legislation ahead of the introduction of the Finance Bill.

Mel Stride, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General said:

Open and collaborative consultation ensures any policy changes are well targeted and that the likely impacts are better understood. That is why we are giving taxpayers and professionals in the field more time to adapt to new rules and to give us their views on the design of tax policy.

In November 2016, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced the move to a single Autumn Budget, which means businesses and individuals should face less frequent changes to the tax system. This builds on the progress made on tax policy development since Tax Policy Making: A New Approach was published in 2010, which committed to creating a more predictable, stable and simple tax regime.

The Committee will be publishing its report ‘Intimidation in Public Life: A Review by the Committee on Standards in Public Life’ on Wednesday 13 December. Copies of the report will be online from 10am.

On the same day, we will be holding a launch seminar about intimidation in public life from 10am to 11am in central London. A note of the seminar will be made available after the event. Limited spaces are available, so please contact the Secretariat by email at public@public-standards.gov.uk by 8 December if you would like to attend.

You can also follow the event on Twitter @publicstandards #publiclife

Sign up to updates from our website if you would like to hear more news about our review.