red tape All tied up?
Janet Jones Chair, Welsh Policy Unit of the Federation of Small Business, looks at the problems of too much red tape
I
n a recent survey of FSB members in Wales, more than one third of respondents cited burdensome regulation and red tape as a barrier to their businesses’ growth. Given that the same survey showed more than half of
businesses are actively targeting growth over the next 12 months, this is clearly disappointing. Results from a separate survey also show that around half of
Welsh businesses feel the cost of complying with regulation has increased. Clearly, these are significant issues for small and medium
sized businesses, which account for 99 per cent of the Welsh economy. It must be said that good regulation is beneficial. Done well,
it should create a safe and productive business environment which encourages people to set up their own businesses.
Yet over decades, layers of regulation have been created
– some of which for questionable benefit – which is slowly killing the spirit of enterprise on which the long-term prosperity of this country depends. In Wales, much of the regulation affecting small businesses
derives from the EU and Westminster, so it is often beyond the scope of Welsh Ministers. Nevertheless, the Welsh Government must play its part
in ensuring that any regulation which arises as a result of legislation it imposes works in favour of small businesses and not against them. This is something we successfully lobbied the Welsh
Government on leading up to the implementation of the carrier bag legislation. At UK Government-level there has been positive rhetoric
n Continued on page 40
38 THEbusiness QUARTER
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