Voice of British Business Project Report Launched!

The Voice of British Business Project was run by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills with the Trade Association Forum. It studied how trade associations and government departments currently communicate, and ascertained ways of improving the interface between the two. 

A summary of the Voices of British Business Report was made available  - a full extended Report will be published in the near future which will include research results and information. 

Mr. Lucas stated that the Forum is a ‘key interlocutor’ with ‘an integral role to play’ in helping the government to develop policies that will position British businesses to take advantage of new opportunities in the global economy.  He outlined the focus of the report and the four key recommendations, which are:

• Engagement and Consultation
• Understanding and Leadership
• Networking
• Joint Projects

He said there had been a positive response from the Government regarding the report findings and that, whilst further work needed to be done, he commended the report to all.
There are plans to establish a pilot scheme to focus on those particular sectors which cross two or more government departments, to help demonstrate good practice in action.  BIS has every intention of positioning itself as a strong voice for business at the heart of government. The Minister made it clear there was a genuine commitment to changing the Government approach by building upon the research findings and said “This project offers fantastic potential for Trade Associations to represent their members, in an effectively co-ordinated fashion, when interacting with Government”

By building on the partnership that already exists, it is intended the project will be the catalyst for much improved methods of better collaborative working to help communication between businesses and government.

Further information on the “Voice of British Business” project may be obtained from Linda Cavender. A full copy of the Minister’s speech along with a downloadable version of the Report can be obtained from the news section of the website here.