Member News – 07 October 2026

07 October 2026

In this issue:

• Leader’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference.
• Transport Committee Inquiry: transport connecting young people to jobs and training.
• A5: Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal overturns ruling blocking A5 Western Transport Corridor in Northen Ireland.
• Logistics UK Events Code of Conduct.

Policy updates

Badenoch outlines plans to reduce barriers to growth as Logistics UK champions competitiveness

Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch used her party conference speech to argue that businesses are being held back by the planning, tax and energy systems. She pledged to cut taxes including employer National Insurance for young workers, reduce business regulation, remove Employment Rights Act 2025 measures, and to back expansion at Heathrow as part of her plans to strengthen the economy.

At the conference, Logistics UK and partners hosted a panel discussion with Shadow Development Minister Wendy Morton MP, focused on unlocking investment, improving connectivity and strengthening the UK’s competitiveness. Logistics UK also held a Global Trade and Logistics Roundtable with Shadow Rail Minister Alison Griffiths MP, covering trade friction, international gateway connectivity, and resilient supply chains. The team also met Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden MP, Shadow Transport Minister Greg Smith MP and Shadow Defence Minister David Reed MP, to discuss Logistics UK’s priorities, including key Budget asks.

Transport Committee inquiry: transport connecting young people to jobs and training

Logistics UK has responded to the Transport Committee’s inquiry on how transport affects young people’s ability to access work and training, highlighting the unique challenges faced by the logistics sector. The submission explains how many logistics jobs are located in warehousing parks, freight hubs, ports and airports that are often difficult to reach by public transport. Logistics UK argues that transport should be seen not simply as an infrastructure issue but as a labour market participation issue, with limited transport connectivity preventing many young people from accessing employment opportunities despite vacancies existing. The response also highlights the cost of learning to drive, obtaining a licence and running a vehicle as barriers to employment. The submission stresses that improving access to logistics employment will help address both youth employment challenges and the sector’s long-term workforce needs.

A5: Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal overturns ruling blocking A5 Western Transport Corridor in Northern Ireland

Work on the delayed £1.7 billion A5 road upgrade should begin as soon as possible after the Court of Appeal quashed a ruling blocking the project. Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has said the road is now her “top priority”. The road project, connecting Aughnacloy and Derry/Londonderry, is the biggest infrastructure project of its kind ever undertaken in Northern Ireland.

Logistics UK has welcomed the judgement, given the sector is fundamental to Northern Ireland’s economy, employing around 65,000 people and supporting more than 6,000 businesses involved in making, selling and moving goods. The A5 upgrade will be one of Northern Ireland’s biggest road schemes and Logistics UK argues that it is exactly the type of ambitious infrastructure project that will help businesses strengthen supply chains and create the connectivity needed to drive growth across the region.

Logistics UK Events Code of Conduct

Logistics UK would like to take the opportunity to remind members of our Events Code of Conduct.

Logistics UK wants its events to provide a safe, inclusive environment where professionals in their respective industries can come together, enjoy themselves and network. This is reliant on everyone involved in the event being respectful of one another and informing of any inappropriate behaviour, whether personally affected or not.

Behaviour which could be perceived as harassment, discrimination, bullying, offensive language, physical or verbal abuse, or any form of inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated.

Please do take time to review the full Code of Conduct on our website.

Logistics Performance Tracker Q3 2026 – have your say

Logistics UK’s latest Logistics Performance Tracker is now open, inviting members to share how current economic and operational conditions are affecting their businesses.

The quarterly LPT looks at members’ experiences over the previous quarter and expectations for the months ahead. It tracks key areas including business confidence, economic outlook, supply chain operations, freight activity, costs and staffing, helping identify changing conditions and emerging challenges across the industry. The evidence members provide supports Logistics UK’s engagement with government, regulators, and other stakeholders, helping ensure the experiences and priorities of logistics businesses are heard and reflected in policy discussions. The survey for this quarter is also seeking views on extreme weather and business resilience, regional devolution and strategic planning, and contingency planning.

Taking around 10 minutes to complete, survey respondents will receive the full Q3 Logistics Performance Tracker report, bringing together the findings and relevant national statistics.

Complete the survey here.

Quick briefs

Call for evidence response: smart data

Logistics UK has responded to the government’s smart data multi sector call for evidence. The response reflected the industry’s general support of targeted data sharing that improves freight network resilience, visibility and coordination. The response highlights the importance of common standards, and interoperability whilst emphasising the importance of protecting commercial interests. If members would like to read Logistics UK’s response, please find it on the website here.

If members would like to get in touch about this call for evidence response, please contact Stephanie Haszczyn.

NCSC Cyber Security Awareness Month partner pack

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued two Cyber Security Awareness Month packs, one tailored for SMEs and another designed for larger organisations, to share the background and key messages of its Cyber Security Awareness Month campaign.

Cyber Security Awareness Month provides an opportunity for businesses to encourage individuals and organisations across the UK to strengthen their cyber resilience through practical action. This year, the NCSC is supporting Cyber Month through the theme: Strong Cyber Foundations.

NaVCIS Freight crime intelligence bulletin published

Please find attached the latest fortnightly National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Policy Service (NaVCIS) Freight crime intelligence bulletin attached. The key finding is that 168 offences of Freight Crime were reported to NaVCIS in August 2026, this is a decrease from 233 offences reported in July 2026. Figures for August 2026 represent an estimated cost loss value of £4.1 million, which is an increase from £3.7 million reported in July 2026.

The NaVCIS Freight Crime Fortnightly Intelligence Bulletins are available to business and industry for the prevention and detection of crime.

Read the bulletin here.

Support and advice

Suspended driver licence

Q. Can a driver with a suspended licence undertake periodic Driver CPC training?

A. Although the vocational entitlement is suspended, the licence remains a valid form of identification and meets the ID requirements. This allows the driver to complete classroom-based training, which can be uploaded and count towards the required 35 hours of periodic training should their licence be reinstated.

Drivers undertake this training at their own risk; if their licence is ultimately revoked, any completed training will be invalid. As the driver’s vocational entitlement is suspended, they cannot complete any on-road driver training.

Waiting for a Driver Qualification Card

Q. Can a driver continue driving while waiting for their DQC to arrive, even after the expiry date, if all training was completed beforehand?

A. The regulations state that a driver does not need to produce a DQC at a roadside check if they are awaiting its issue following an application to the competent authority.

For these purposes, the application is considered complete when the final hours needed to reach the 35-hour periodic training requirement have been uploaded to the DVSA database.

If the 35 hours have not been uploaded, the driver cannot drive unless they hold a valid DQC. Any missing hours should be raised with the training provider.

Border SPS agreement

Q. We move chilled food between the EU and Great Britain. How will the proposed UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement affect us?

A. The agreement is intended to take effect from mid-2027, subject to negotiations. For most agrifood trade between Great Britain and the EU, export health certificates and routine SPS border checks would be removed, reducing paperwork, delays and costs. Customs requirements would remain. Businesses should continue following existing rules for now and watch for further guidance as the detail is finalised. Logistics UK supports the agreement and is pressing for practical implementation and clear notice for operators.

Legislation update

An overview of the key consultations, legislative developments and government announcements that were published in September 2026 can be found here.

Average EU and UK forecourt prices

Please find the average EU and UK forecourt prices here.