2 June 2005

BPIF response to the Queen’s speech

There were three items of particular interest to the printing industry in the jam-packed Queen’s speech on Tuesday 17 May. 1. Company law reform: the BPIF welcomes the plan to reduce the complexity of company law for small businesses. The reforms show a long-overdue recognition by government that small businesses do not have endless resources to comply with current company law. However, one provision of the reforms is of great concern to the industry. The new regulations will allow companies, with the agreement of shareholders, to adopt electronic communication as the default method of communication with shareholders. This provision is aimed at reducing the cost to businesses of producing and mailing annual reports. The BPIF is working hard to make the Department of Trade and Industry aware of the massive impact that this will have on printers specialising in Report and Accounts and Corporate Finance documentation, with a view to obtaining government support to help such firms research and promote themselves in new markets. 2. Regulatory reform: the BPIF is feeding into the government’s consultation on simplifying businesses’ tax administration tasks in light of the merger of HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue. We hope to see the introduction of a Deregulation Bill in the next Parliament that will ensure that all reforms requiring Parliamentary legislation are given a slot in the Parliamentary calendar. We will closely monitor the government’s progress in implementing its plans for regulatory reform. 3. Extension of ‘family friendly’ employment legislation: the BPIF supports measures that will allow as many people as possible to enter and continue working in the printing industry. However, the BPIF’s submission to the government’s consultation on extending flexible working and maternity rights objected to the lack of support offered to compensate smaller employers for the difficulty of covering for skilled workers on family-related leave. If the government is committed to extending flexible working, it must be willing to pay for it, rather than expecting employers to foot the bill.