Small Business threatened with £2,500 Red Tape fine

We received a frantic email from a client last week who was being threatened with £2,500 because, due to being busy running her business, she hadn’t completed an ….

Annual Business Survey

This is a survey conducted by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and contributes to the National Accounts.

The cynic in me reads that as ….

A survey conducted by a department of civil servants who have probably never run a business in their life and have no concept of the demands placed on a small business owner by the enormous red tape that they already have to undertake.

Apparently a fine of up to £2,500 can be levied under the provision of section 4 of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947.

1947 – it’s 2012 for goodness sake

Now I seem to remember Cameron promising to reduce red tape for businesses.

Can I be the only person in the country to think that the threat of being fined under a 1947 act of parliament for not completing a survey because you are running a business to earn a living is red tape that Cameron could get rid of in a moment?

I do wish this Government would get a blooming move on and cut some of this unnecessary and ridiculous red tape for small businesses – it’s not difficult!

Come on Cameron – show small businesses that you really do care about them for a change. Get rid of this fine threat NOW.

Needless to say – we helped the client complete the survey so there won’t be £2,500 coming the Government’s way from our client.