EEF leads Red Tape Challenge for manufacturers

EEF, the manufacturers' organisation is helping to spearhead the two week campaign through its' Chief Executive, Terry Scuoler, who will act as sector champion.

Manufacturing companies are being urged to step up to the plate and create a bonfire of legislation that they would like to be either improved or scrapped under the government's 'Red Tape Challenge' (RTC).

Commenting on the Challenge and his role, Terry Scuoler, said: “The growth in regulation has plagued business for a long time and is now one of the biggest threats to our flexibility and ability to create jobs and growth. By participating in the Challenge companies now have a unique opportunity to tell government how regulations are affecting their business, how they could be improved and where they should be scrapped.”

The RTC is a government initiative designed to help deliver on its commitment to cut the burden of regulation weighing down on the economy. Businesses are being invited to tell the Government, through a dedicated website which regulations are working and which are not.

Once businesses have had their say, the Government has committed to working out within three months which regulations will be kept and why. Crucially, the default presumption will be that burdensome regulations will go. If Ministers want to keep them, they will need to make the case for them to stay.

EEF is also lobbying for reduced, simplified and more effective regulation in a number of areas covered by the RTC such as Environment where there is considerable scope for consolidation in waste and packaging regulation.
For example, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive has been implemented in the UK through a succession of regulations amending and adding to the provisions of the original European legislation.

Consolidating them into a single piece of regulation would make the requirements easier and less time consuming to understand.
Other areas for possible simplification include health & safety, employment law, company law and export controls.

Manufacturers feeling the burden of regulation are encouraged to participate. To get involved got to www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk.