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24 Spring 2023 A ll eyes have been on the Spring Budget which has heralded a further opportunity to underline the need to recover from the disruptive economic conditions, as well as high in ation and energy costs. e hire sector needs stability and certainty as do all parts of the economy. GREEN BUDGET PROVISIONS More speci cally, HAE EHA has called for a targeted measure to support capital investment by hire businesses aligned to net zero imperatives. Given the equipment retention period applied by most hirers, investment decisions made over the next year will have an impact on the 2030 net zero milestone. Greener equipment tends to cost more and requires a bespoke infrastructure, additional training and operational support on deployment. is is important as most hire businesses were excluded from the Super-Deduction Allowance and from similar incentives. In our view, this is an outdated situation re ecting 1980s avoidance concerns across wider industry, rather than how construction mostly utilises hirers to meet their on- site tool, equipment and plant needs. is view is shared by many of our fellow trade associations and we have been coordinating activity to ensure a consistent message to the Government. ere is no guarantee that the Budget will contain this or similar allowances, but we see this as a longer-term campaign to correct the disparity in how UK business is supported in the transition to net zero. As the gloomy economic outlook continues, the UK Budget was awaited with baited breath. Net Zero imperatives, ERA participation and trends in theft and fraud are current issues for the hire sector. PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATE