Each Friday, www.Punchline-Gloucester.com editor Mark Owen is joined by leading Gloucestershire business figures from a range of backgrounds to debate the main news and issues from the previous seven days.

Taking their places on the business briefing panel this week were:

John Workman, senior partner at BPE Solicitors, the company has over 120 staff with its HQ based in Cheltenham.

Steve Gardner - Collins, sales director at the Hatton Court Collection which includes six hotels and two pubs with over 150 staff between them. He's also founder, director and chair of Visit Gloucestershire and also president of the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce.

Julie Kent (MBE), must be one of Gloucestershire's most prolific charity fund raisers, she is vice chair of the Pied Piper Appeal and also a motivational speaker as well as a saxophone player.

Talitha Nelson, CEO at Gloucestershire Community Foundation Trust, previous she has worn many hats having been a business leader in the retail and hospitality sectors.

Its a lively informative chat and a blast through the papers before getting behind the nitty gritty of their own businesses and market place - this week they cover once the shortage of labour market and the furlough scheme - the legalities of forcing people back into work. The problems and challenges currently experienced in the third sector (charity).

Its a canter through lots of subjects from the people who are at the sharp end of business.

The panel also selected their top stories from this week's Punchline.

It is fun informative business news - something for anyone who is generally interested in business.