MAS is urging manufacturers to seize a unique opportunity to tell the Government what they really think about the rules and regulations that affect them.
Between Thursday 21 July and Thursday 11 August, the Government's Red Tape Challenge turns its attention to manufacturers, giving small and medium sized businesses a unique opportunity to shape future policy decisions. Manufacturers will be able to share their opinions about the regulations that affect them - which should stay, which should be simplified and which should be removed. The good news being that the default presumption will be that burdensome regulations will go. If Ministers want to keep them, they have to make a very good case for them to stay.
MAS National Network Manager Neale Ryan comments: ""The Red Tape Challenge really is a rare opportunity for manufacturers to have their say on the regulations that affect them. That's why MAS is urging manufacturers to take part and tell the Government what changes they would like to see"
MAS, which has received more than 188,000 enquiries since it began in 2002, is designed to help manufacturers achieve improvements in their productivity and competitiveness. It therefore frequently works with small and medium sized businesses to help them meet regulatory and industry standards and sees the pressures that they are under first-hand.
Gestamp Ltd. is one company which MAS has worked with to deliver commercial benefit. Following an audit by a major automotive OEM the company was asked to gain ISO 14001 in order to secure its position as a tier one supplier. Having secured the accreditation the company not only maintained its position, but is now able to bid for more contracts. Commenting on the Red Tape Challenge Business Development and Commercial Manager, Mark Potts said:
"There are some regulations and standards that obviously must be maintained and help to promote best practice within industry. There are, however, a number of regulations which increase the burden on manufacturers without delivering any obvious benefits. I, for example, would like to see a reversal of the lowering of both the Climate Change Levy threshold, which will penalise smaller energy intensive companies such as ours, and Feed In Tariffs (FITs), which will affect the commercial viability of installing green technologies, such as solar panels."
Zodion is another company which worked on a similar project with MAS, Managing Director, John Fox adds: "I would like to see a reduction in the amount of bureaucracy around 'The CRC Energy Efficiency Order 2010'. For a medium sized company such as ourselves the inconsistency of its application on our customers can present a heavy burden. Where we have come across regulations and standards that are necessary and do provide an ultimate benefit to the company we have worked closely with the Manufacturing Advisory Service and as a result have seen impressive results."
Those wishing to contribute should visit the Red Tape Challenge website www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Input will then be reviewed by Ministers who have three months to decide which regulations they will scrap - with the presumption that all burdensome regulations that cannot be justified will go.
If you would like to know more about how MAS could help improve your manufacturing business performance visit www.mas.bis.gov.uk call 0845 658 9600 or e-mail info@mas-uk.org.uk.