BCC - Networking lunch with Minister

On 14 July representatives from the cleaning industry met for a ‘network lunch’ with Ian Lucas, the newly installed Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform. With a healthy cross section from the CSSA, BCC and ICMMA in attendance, the occasion gave members an opportunity to raise any issues and concerns affecting their organisations with the minister. After an introduction where Lucas detailed his career as a solicitor prior to joining the government and listed the key tenets of his newly acquired portfolio, the members were given a chance to ask questions.

The first topic raised was the prevalence of regulatory bureaucracy affecting businesses, a strain on resources for many CSSA members during difficult economic times. Lucas emphasised his commitment to cutting red tape, drawing on personal experience from his earlier career as a solicitor, owning a small practice in Wrexham. Visits from regulators insisting on ‘changes in areas where they were unqualified, or unaware of the practical realities of the business’
were singled out as a great burden, one on which he empathised strongly. He assured the table that his department would do everything it could to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy during his term as minister.

He followed up this point with some general advice on the most effective means for individuals to influence government procedure and policy - through the Member of Parliament representing their constituency. After a quick survey where Lucas asked those present whether they had ever met their local MP (only around a third of the
16 representatives gave an affirmative response) he emphasised the value in communicating with them directly: “They are there to listen to any issues you might have, address them where possible and pass them on to the relevant government department,” he said.

The minister was asked whether the recent merger of BERR and DIUS into BIS (Business Innovation and Skills) would have any effect on New Industrial Activism (robust frameworks for the private sector and strategic government investment) in relation to the cleaning industry.

He assured those present that the department would continue the existing policy of the Labour government - ‘to assist businesses as they face the challenges posed by economic and environmental issues’.

He added that he saw major opportunities for both businesses and governments to show leadership, particularly in areas such as climate change and sustainable business practices, concluding that promoting businesses who share these ideals will be a key feature of his tenure.

When questioned on his views on the decline of the British manufacturing industry, Lucas responded that he is strongly in favour of Britain rediscovering confidence in the sector: “British industry has the capability and the talent to compete with anywhere in the world,” he said, “and we should do much more with our own ideas, creativity and resources.”

The final conversation topic was an analysis of the recession, to which the minister responded cautiously: “From my experiences in my Wrexham constituency and talking to business owners there, I have had indications that things are stabilising.” While the outlook across the country is ‘extremely mixed’, citing the example of clothing chain Primark who recently posted an increase of 20% in sales, the minister added:?“I am always reluctant to use the term green shoots, but we hope to see changes by the end of the year.”

At the end of the lunch, the members agreed to reconvene later in the year.