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[Nov 2005]
British Ceramic Confederation Briefs Parliament
At a recent event at the Houses of Parliament in London, the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC) brought the UK Government fully up to date with the British ceramic manufacturing sector, its progress, its importance, employment etc.
The BCC presented government officials with a briefing pack, 'The UK Ceramic Industry: creating wealth, adding value, providing employment', which contains a lead-off summary as follows:
'The UK ceramic manufacturing industry has sales approaching £2 billion into highly competitive national and global markets. Its wide range of products include:
-- domestic and commercial tableware and giftware
-- floor and wall tiles
-- sanitaryware
-- bricks, clay roof tiles, clay pipes and land drains
-- industrial ceramics and refractories
They are of strategic importance to basic industries including construction, steel, power transmission, agriculture, tourism and leisure, and many others using advanced ceramics in high-tech applications.
The industry demonstrates a strong export performance in its sectors whose products are internationally traded.
It maintains competitiveness through continuing technological advance, research and development, technology transfer and capital investment.
Circa 40,000 people are employed direct, with many more in ancillary industries.
The British Ceramic Confederation is the industry lead body, representing the common and collective interests of all sectors of the industry. Its 125 member companies comprise over 90% of the UK industry's manufacturing capacity.'
The briefing pack contained separate documents which addressed, variously: regulation; energy; emissions; pollution control; product safety; free and fair trade; and relationships with government.
Further information on the BCC is available from its website.
www.ceramfed.co.uk
ENDS