UK Government policies towards manufacturing and retailer power are the major concerns of the UK packaging manufacturing and machinery sectors, according to the UK Packaging Business Confidence Survey from Landell Mills Consulting, the Packaging Federation and Total Processing & Packaging 2004. Over 90 per cent of respondents said the Government was not doing enough for industry - citing a lack of understanding about the real impact of the ever increasing rules, regulations, taxes, costs and bureaucracy emanating both from the UK Government and the EU.
A further 59 per cent felt the UK was not a good place to invest - again pointing to the lack of government support for manufacturing and relatively high labour costs as the major deterrents.
Packaging Federation chief executive Ian Dent says: "If packaging manufacture is to remain a viable part of the UK economy, it is vital that some constructive dialogue takes place with the Government on the issues identified in this survey. We need a strong champion within the Department of Trade and Industry to work with the industry, not against it, as we so often feel is the case."
On the thorny question of when the UK should join the Single European Currency, there was an almost equal split between those for joining immediately (31 per cent) and those who said it should never join (35 per cent). However, 22 per cent believed joining within three years would be beneficial.
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