The British Coatings Federation welcomes the Heseltine review’s desire to see closer ties between industry and government. However, BCF CEO Tom Bowtell, has voiced concerns over the recommendation for government to only interact through lead trade associations for a sector. "We already collaborate with many trade associations in the chemical supply chain to help government with its policy development to help find the right balance between regulation and innovation.”
However, Bowtell feels that in certain areas, direct communication with government for the coatings industry is vital.
"We represent 90% of the Paint, Ink and Wallcoverings manufacturers under the BCF banner and deserve a direct line into government to talk about industrial strategy, investment, skills and export.
"At a recent Trade Association Forum event Lord Green, Minister of State for Export, said that only 1 in 5 companies in the UK are exporters and the government has set challenging targets in this area. Lord Green stated that Trade Associations are the key route to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and this is true of the BCF where 90% of our members are SMEs. The BCF is building relationships directly with UKTI to help promote the paint industry abroad and to continue to grow our paint exports.”
