Manufacturers urged to join red tape challenge
MANUFACTURERS in the North-East have warned Ministers they hazard throwing the baby out with the bath water in their bid to cut industry red tape.
Firms in the region have been urged vent to their opinions in a Government campaign to reduce bureaucracy. For the next three weeks the Red Tape Challenge will focus on 140 regulations that manufacturers have to huge quantity with every day, and asks whether the rules should be retained or scrapped.
Manufacturing Minister Mark Prisk is eager to unfasten as many burdens as possible to let businesses rebalance the economy.
"I want our manufacturers to be making things, not padding out forms," he said.
John Elliott, chairman of Ebac dehumidifiers based at Aycliffe Business Reservation, Newton Aycliffe hoped that the scheme was more than just rhetoric. "Government red tape is one of those paying lip-service things that is bandied around by politicians," he said. "For example, many aspects of health and safety and staff good fortune regulations are cumbersome, but these are important areas, and the cost of the pointless elements is worth paying even to get one fruitful thing that makes a real difference to health and safety or staff welfare."
