Logistics UK’s full letter to the Chancellor ahead of government’s Autumn Statement 2023

Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP  
Chancellor of the Exchequer HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road  
Westminster  
London  
SW1A 2HQ  

By email to public.enquiries@hmtreasury.gov.uk  

26 September 2023  

Dear Chancellor,  

Logistics UK’s representation to HM Treasury ahead of your Autumn Statement 2023  

On behalf of Logistics UK, I am writing to share our representation to HM Treasury ahead of your Autumn Statement, on 22 November 2023.  

As you are aware, Logistics UK is one of the country’s largest business groups, representing one of the UK’s most important economic sectors. We support, shape and stand up for safe and efficient logistics and have a membership that includes global, national and regional businesses and SMEs spanning road, rail, inland waterways, sea and air as well as the buyers of freight services, such as retailers and manufacturers. As well as delivering the products households, businesses and public services rely on, every day, our sector creates opportunities across the UK and links the UK to the global trade network. It contributes £163 billion to the economy each year (12% of UK non-financial GVA), employs 2.7 million people (8.2% of the UK workforce), moves goods more than 200 billion tonne kilometres within the UK per year and enables the trade of more than £1 trillion of goods.  

Logistics delivers for the future, as an essential system for growth. It underpins the whole economy, with an economic footprint three times larger than its direct GVA contribution. According to new analysis by Oxford Economics, by putting logistics first, with the right partnerships, regulations and investment, government can supercharge UK GDP by £3.9 billion to £7.9bn per year by 2030. Please find a copy of this new report attached.  

Achieving this progress would mean improvements to infrastructure, borders, innovation and skills, alongside delivering the challenging transition to a green economy – with our requests and recommendations in these areas set out in our attached submission. On the first table on page three, we set out our policy asks for the Autumn Statement specifically, with further detail throughout the document. In the table on page four, we summarise Logistics UK’s policy asks for other government departments and the government’s long-term priorities. To take this agenda forward, the logistics sector is calling on the government to work with us to establish a cross-Whitehall Logistics Productivity Forum, to maximise the benefits that this sector can deliver to the whole economy.  

I would very much appreciate a meeting with you and your officials to discuss these requests and recommendations. In addition, please do not hesitate to ask should you want any further information about them.  

I look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.  

Your sincerely,  

David Wells OBE  

Chief Executive  

CC  

Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero  
Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade  
Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology  
Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for Transport  
Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education
Rt Hon Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 

Published On: 02/11/2023 14:00:00

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