Earlier this year, the coalition launched Red Tape Challenge, a website that invites UK consumers and businesses to comment on regulation and highlight areas of 'red tape' they feel are excessive.

However, according to website figures, the response from the manufacturing sector has, so far, been somewhat muted.

As well as a 'general regulations' forum, which runs from April 2011-April 2013, specific sectors of UK industry each have their own month-long forum, with manufacturing being featured in August.

The government then intends to make 'on-the-fly' changes to regulations based on responses, rather than collating all the answers at the end of the consultation period.

The manufacturing section of Red Tape Challenge is divided into four areas: products and equipment; weights and measures; intellectual property; and export control.

It has been reported on the site that, while the retail sector had 9,000 responses during its consultation period, with just a week remaining, there have only been 35 comments across the four manufacturing topics, with no responses at all to the 'intellectual property' debate.