INDUSTRY COMMENT: BHETA COLLECTIVE ACTION – P roposals to
improve things, be less wasteful, be more effective or economically viable, or whatever might
be perceived as a workable solution, abound. Unfortunately, and maybe understandably because of the pressure for a speedy response, inadequate briefing or occasionally something more cynical, these proposals are not always the best thought through. Whether they are more about ticking boxes than really finding ways of getting to the heart of problems, or whether they just have what are euphemistically called ‘unintended consequences’, it is vital that as individuals and businesses, we call out ideas that are faulty and make a genuine effort to ensure that they are not just allowed to happen without proper question.
It may seem daunting to ‘take on the establishment’, but experience over the last couple of years has proved to me that with good research, prompt response and above all, collective action, it is entirely possible to win an argument for the greater good. Trade associations are of course not the only route for collective action, but they can be a very convenient and effective way for business to tackle a common cause. Here are three mini ‘case studies’ on how BHETA has tackled problems successfully.
Tackling the plastic tax Following BHETA’s lobbying on the draft Plastic Packaging tax legislation, coordinated with members, HMRC made a U-turn. Its original position was to extend the legislation’s scope to include multi-use consumer goods such as storage boxes and packed lunch boxes, toolboxes, and shop fittings as well as packaging. Prior to BHETA’s intervention, the previous draft of the legislation could have precipitated costs of an additional estimated £50million per year in tax across the supplier base and this case certainly demonstrated
6 DIY WEEK APRIL 2024
EFFECTIVELY DEALING WITH ‘UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES’
Whether it’s about climate change, knife crime, our relationship with the EU and trading partners in general, or a host of other issues of today, it’s not surprising that governments and other relevant institutions need to be seen to react and come up with answers, according to Will Jones, Chief Operating Officer of BHETA.
what could be achieved. Rather than imposing costly
product reconfiguration, re-labelling, and repackaging on suppliers of household, garden, and other products to comply with new import / export laws, BHETA asked the Government to unpick the proposed legislation as it stands in favour of something more equitable, more practical, and more motivational for everyone involved, as well as asking for a delay to ensure proactive rather than reactive compliance. BHETA’s campaign was not about denying the need for change, but to ensure an equitable spread of the cost and an achievable timescale, meaning that all suppliers and retailers could take genuinely positive steps, rather than being bounced. The steps taken since by both retailers and suppliers demonstrate the importance of allowing for real change, which could be embraced by all, as opposed to box ticking.
Taking on the Post Office Taking on the Post Office, reference its proposal to withdraw its safe delivery of legitimate DIY and garden knives (not to mention kitchen knives and cutlery). A two-month campaign by BHETA on postal services’ age verification policies reference the delivery of bladed items has led to a climb- down by Royal Mail on its original proposal to cease such services. Such a move would potentially have financially crippled many UK sellers of legitimate products such as garden knives, penknives and cutlery, and encouraged more unscrupulous suppliers to sell bladed articles without age verification.
“BHETA’s campaign was not about denying the need for change, but to ensure an equitable spread of the cost and an achievable timescale.”
BHETA was made aware of the possible impact for the UK home improvement and home enhancement industries in February 2024. It immediately communicated with Adrian Baker - UK Products Director Royal Mail and raised the issue in a meeting with the Minister
for Policing and OFCOM at the Home Office, as well as providing members with the means to lobby their MPs on the subject. Royal Mail has now backed down and pledged to continue its age-verified postal delivery service, along with a new policy that from 7th May, it will no longer handle any newly prohibited items, this placing clear distance between legitimate bladed products for household use and other items which could pose a danger to the public.
The point is we all need to co-operate when these issues arise. BHETA’s experience is that trade association action at the highest level, supplemented – and this is crucial – by supplier and retailer business’ own co-ordinated lobbying, keeps effective pressure on and achieves meaningful results.
For more information about BHETA and BHETA lobbying, contact the BHETA Member Services team on 0121 237 1130 or visit the BHETA website at
www.bheta.co.uk
www.diyweek.net
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