The BCF contacted Straw in the summer to help fight keep a raw material crucial to wallpaper manufacturing available to firms.
The material is currently under threat from REACH and could potentially cause the UK wallcovering industry a host of problems.
Straw’s remarks came in response to Cameron’s speech on supporting further deregulation in Europe.
Straw said in Parliament: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s efforts in respect of deregulation. May I ask him to pay particular attention to the REACH—registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemicals—regulation?
I welcome the Prime Minister’s efforts in respect of deregulation. May I ask him to pay particular attention to the REACH—registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemicals—regulation”
“As I have explained to the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, that regulation is likely to have a deleterious effect on one company in my constituency, which does not wish to be named for obvious reasons.
“We all support health and safety measures in respect of chemicals, but will he look at the over-elaborate enforcement of the regulation, which is unnecessary and could do gratuitous damage to companies in this country?”
The Prime Minister responded be saying the issue is covered in the ‘excellent’ document by the business taskforce.
Pleased by the response, Bowtell adds: “As a Federation, we have been raising the visibility of how REACH is potentially affecting the competitiveness of the UK coatings, inks and wallcoverings industries, by writing to over 100 MPs and 50 MEPs to encourage MPs to write to the business minister Michael Fallon MP who heads up the UK Business Task Force aimed at cutting red tape.”