BFC News
February 2013
BFC SUPPORTS ‘RED TAPE CHALLENGE’ DECISION
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC) supports the decision for furniture fire safety regulations to avoid the ‘Red Tape Challenge’, an open consultation on current regulations before a review by ministers.
January 2013
BFC supports rigorous flammability standards
Stephen McPartland MP, the Member of Parliament for Stevenage and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group, has affirmed his support for the British Furniture Confederation’s (BFC) campaign to maintain British Flammability Standards. The Standards have demonstrated that they save lives and are more rigorous than other European regulations.
January 2013
2012 Review - Lobbying on your behalf
The BFC continues to lead industry’s dialogue with Government and the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group (APPFIG), chaired by Stevenage MP, Stephen McPartland. Here is a summary of 2012 activities tackling a wide range of issues and raising awareness of the industry and its importance within government circles.
October 2012
MPs welcome furniture apprentices to Westminster
The British Furniture Confederation arranged for a number of young apprentices to meet the chair Stephen McPartland MP and other members of the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group at the group’s Annual General Meeting at the Houses of Parliament on 22nd October 2012.
September 2012
BFC petitions the Chancellor about unfair biomass subsidies
In a further bid to highlight the furniture industry’s concerns about the adverse impact of biomass subsidies on its cost basis and future viability, representatives of the British Furniture Confederation today went to 11 Downing Street to present a letter and petition of more than 1,600 signatures for the attention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne.
July 2012
BFC EXHIBITION SUCCESS AT WESTMINSTER
The scale and diversity of Britain’s furniture industry was put on show for hundreds of MPs, peers and civil servants during a four day exhibition staged by The British Furniture Confederation (BFC) at the House of Commons.
July 2012
SPORTING CHANCE FOR BRITISH FURNITURE
A run of Royal celebrations and summer of top sporting action is proving a tonic for Britain’s furniture industry. More than one in four Britons (28%) agree they have become more inclined to buy British due to the Royal Wedding last year, the Diamond Jubilee this year and the high profile sporting events taking place in the UK this year. And almost half (45%) of those questioned in a poll commissioned by The British Furniture Confederation thought it was important to buy British when buying furniture.
June 2012
BFC TAKES ITS CASE TO THE HEART OF GOVERNMENT
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC) is to highlight the importance of Britain’s furniture industry during a four day exhibition at the House of Commons. As the voice of the British furniture and bed industry, the BFC will showcase the excellence and variety of furniture manufactured in the UK in the heart of Westminster from Monday July 9.
May 2012
Biomass Campaign Comes to Downing Street
Leading furniture industry representatives have today gone to 10 Downing Street to present a petition to the Prime Minister over their concerns about the impact of biomass subsidies on wood prices. This represents the latest phase in a campaign being co-ordinated by FIRA and the British Furniture Confederation (BFC).
February 2012
Future of Biomass Parliamentary Debate
The damaging effect of biomass subsidies on the furniture industry was raised by MPs in a debate in the House of Commons on 20th February 2012.
December 2011
BIOMASS SUBSIDIES REPORT PUBLISHED
On Monday 12 December, the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) and the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) and held a meeting at the House of Lords to launch a report that focuses on the Renewables Obligation Woody Biomass Subsidy and the detrimental affect it is having on British manufacturing.
November 2011
‘Furniture industry suffers more than most from rising costs of transport’
BFC is right behind the FairFuel campaign to scrap fuel duty rises
November 2011
ACID WELCOMES GOVERNMENT DESIGN LAW REFORM
SME Access to Small Claims IP Court set for 2012.
After over a decade of representations to Government to improve access to a cost and time effective framework to address IP infringement issues for small businesses, ACID is delighted that The Government has confirmed today that a new small claims service will be introduced at the Patents County Court to give SME’s easier access to deal with copyright, patents, trade marks and design infringement.
October 2011
NEW CHAIR FOR BFC
After six years in the hot seat, Martin Jourdan is stepping down as chairman of the British Furniture Confederation. The new chairman is Paul von der Heyde.
October 2011
BFC REPRESENTATION BOOSTED BY FLEXIBLE FOAM PRODUCERS
The Polyurethane Flexible Foam Group of the British Plastics Federation has joined the growing list of furniture-related trade associations to get behind the the furniture’s industry’s political lobbying group, the British Furniture Confederation (BFC).
September 2011
BFC MEETS DEFRA TO DISCUSS WOOD WASTE BOILER CONCERNS
BFC TODAY (8 September) brokered a successful meeting with DEFRA to explore alternative options for proposed wood waste burning boiler emission controls.
August 2011
BFC ‘END OF TERM’ REPORT SHOWS PROGRESS ON INDUSTRY COLLABORATION AND GOVERNMENT LOBBYING
The review of the upholstery and beds flammability regulations, rising chipboard prices affected by biomass fuel subsidies, design rights, the Bribery Act, support for furniture exports, and an end to late payments by local government are just some of the topics the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) has tackled over the past year.
June 2011
MINISTER CONFIRMS GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS
The BFC’s long-planned meeting with Ed Davey MP, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) finally took place earlier this month.
The meeting, organised by Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Group (APFFG)) was held to discuss the UK’s Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations, which are currently under review, in relation to the Government's red tape reduction initiative.
May 2011
IP IN DESIGN - THE PENNY FINALLY DROPS
Yesterday’s publication of the UK’s Intellectual Property Hargreaves Review finally recognised design's significant contribution to the UK’s GDP. Professor Ian Hargreaves has made it known that he cannot understand why design has been neglected as a big chunk of the UK’s economic success. He will be urging Ministers to ensure that the UKIPO is held accountable to create constructive IP policy to help the UK’s designers, many of whom are SMEs.
March 2011
BFC MEMBERSHIP BOOSTED BY GARDEN FURNITURE ASSOCIATION LOFA
LOFA, the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association, is the latest trade association within the furniture industry to join forces with the furniture’s industry’s political lobbying group, the British Furniture Confederation (BFC).
March 2011
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND THE 2011 BUDGET
At last SME’s recognised as being in need of improvements in IP support!
ACID welcomes George Osborne’s statement in the 2011 Budget that it will set out a five-year international approach to intellectual property. Good news for SME’s is a commitment on behalf of the UKIPO to improve the range of products and services available to support UK businesses, particularly SMEs, on issues relating to IP
February 2011
BFC WELCOMES GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT CHANGES
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the single voice for the UK furniture, furnishing and bed industries, welcomes the procurement changes announced by the Cabinet Office. The BFC has been calling on the Government to make these changes for a number of years and is delighted with this announcement.
January 2011
ACID LINKS UP WITH BFC
ACID (Anti Copying in Design), the organisation committed to protecting intellectual property rights, is joining forces with the furniture’s industry’s political lobbying group, the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) as an associate member.
October 2010
“WE’LL HELP YOU IF YOU HELP US” BFC LAUNCHES LATEST CAMPAIGN TO GET FURNITURE INDUSTRY VOICE HEARD IN PARLIAMENT
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the consortium of UK furniture trade and research associations and trade unions formed to represent the industry’s concerns and interests to parliament, has published its 2010 Strategic Plan for the life of the present parliament and held its first meeting with the new All Party Parliamentary Furniture Group (APPFG).
Press enquiries - Martin Jourdan
chairman@britishfurnitureconfederation.org.uk