The role and structure of the British Standards Institute (BSI) could be put under the spotlight.
The Construction Products Association has asked trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt to review the BSI to ensure it is more supportive of UK industry in global markets.
CPA president Roy Harrison said: “Companies in our industry buy considerable numbers of standards and their staff devote many hours to helping BSI develop these standards. We see BSI as a partner in promoting the interests of UK plc but are becoming increasingly disappointed in the part they are playing in the partnership.”
Mr Harrison said aggressive marketing by American standards setting bodies encouraged countries to adopt American rather than British standards. He added: “Once designs are developed to American standards, they provide an immediate advantage to those manufacturing to these standards and present a potential barrier to many UK companies.”
And, he said, BSI was charging UK industry significantly more for copies of the new European standards than companies in other countries.
The BSI consists of two parts -– standards writing and the commercial area of testing and management operations systems. The commercial area accounts for around 90% of BSI business, and the association has suggested to government that this should be sold as a separate concern, with the money raised being used to support a separate standards writing and marketing operation.
