1. Survey information

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.

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2. Trading status of your business

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
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3. Supply chains

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

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4. Prices

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

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5. Sending goods to or from Northern Ireland

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
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6. Stock and capital expenditure

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
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7. UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking

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

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8. Operational performance

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

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9. Workforce characteristics

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

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10. Comments

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

  • Comments
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Contact details for this Article

Emily Hopson
bics@ons.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 1633 455 592