Page 25 - BOSS Today Issue 18

“We have also been in

successful consultation
with uKT&i to

canvass for funding.”

which can persuade decision Heseltine, entitled “No Stone discuss issues that are impacting
makers and opinion formers to Unturned In Pursuit Of Growth”. on our members.
act in the best interests of the This report was commissioned We have also been in
industry. We work with Intergraf by the Government and makes successful consultation with
on European lobbying and the 89 recommendations on how UKT&I to canvass for funding to
CBI for UK lobbying. to create wealth in the UK support members who want to
Mark Cooper of Bong economy, following the worst exhibit at Paperworld Frankfurt,
represents BOSS on the economic crisis in modern times. and we now have grants of
Government and Industry The Government has accepted £1,500 available if we can
Committee which is responsible the vast majority of these generate enough interest.
for overseeing our relations with recommendations and these Together with the Rubber
government for developing impact on trade associations Stamps Manufacturers’ Guild we
policies on industry matters and directly: are involved in ‘Project Genesius’,
for agreeing lobbying issues and n Recommendation 34: a Metropolitan Police initiative
other priorities. Government departments and targeted at document and
The Paper Committee is industry sectors should jointly identity fraud. The Home Office
responsible for determining nominate lead trade associations is launching new legislation - the
policies and initiatives relating to represent sectors in their ‘Specialist Printing Equipment
to paper purchasing and for dialogue with government and (Offence) Bill’ - and has asked
maintaining a regular dialogue encourage the private sector to for our feedback. This law will
with the National Association of bring out a major rationalisation not only pursue individuals, but
obbying is only seen as Paper Merchants. of trade associations to enhance also corporates, who knowingly
Limportant when there is a The BOSS Standards and the quality of the debate. sell office machines, paper and
crisis in the industry. Many years Technical Committee is n Recommendation 67: associated products that can be
ago a child died after swallowing responsible for maintaining BOSS The Trade Association Forum used for creating identity and
a pen top which was non- ISPCs, for maintaining a dialogue should press ahead with the document fraud.
ventilated and imported from the with standard setting bodies development of a competency We have also tied up with
Far East. The Writing Instruments (BSI, ISO) and ensuring that the framework for individuals to drive Howarth Lynch - specialists in
Association successfully lobbied views of the office products up professionalism within trade research and development tax
Government to make such industry are fed into standards associations. credits - to save our members
imports illegal and initiated the and development work relating Lord Heseltine is proposing money on R&D work.
establishment of BSI and - later - to our sector. that all central money allocated We have our members’
ISO standards which have since BOSS/BPIF is also represented for growth is put into a central interests at heart, and are always
been adopted across the world. on the All Party Parliamentary pot and channelled through looking for the next ‘vented pen
BOSS represents the office Print Group and the All Party local Enterprise Partnerships and top crisis’ to lobby for on your
products industry to European Parliamentary Manufacturing local Chambers of Commerce. As behalf.
and UK central and local Group. These bring MPs and BOSS and BPIF we represent our
government and other industry bodies together members on these forums. n For Further
quasi-governmental institutions. to address issues affecting More recently, Stationers’ inFormation
As part of our agreement with manufacturers as a whole. Hall has started a series of trade contact helen Dunn
the BPIF, BOSS has access to A recent example was the lunches with trade associations on 020 7915 8320 or
a number of lobbying bodies report produced by Michael and senior members of BIS to helen@bossfederation.co.uk

industry view ian BradBeer, Managing director, trodat uK Ltd

Ian Bradbeer MD of Trodat commented ‘Some years ago, when the Royal Mail introduced PIP (Pricing in
Proportion) BOSS successfully lobbied through OFCOM and managed to seek amendments specifically on
behalf of the RSMG (Rubber Stamp Manufacturers Guild) and the envelope manufacturers. BOSS also assisted
us recently with representations to the Royal Mail on the introduction of significant and structural price
changes, with less success this time, but it serves as another example of the necessity for our trade federation
to be active and to have open communication channels with various government departments and public
sector bodies’.

July/August 2013 | BOSS TODAY 25

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