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Press Release

FSB calls for overhaul of dispute resolution rules

21 June 2007

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the UK’s biggest business organisation, has called for an overhaul of dispute resolution procedures.

In response to a Government consultation on the issue, the FSB said that the current procedures are inflexible and complicated, causing problems for small businesses that do not have the resources and legal backup of their larger counterparts.

The FSB called for clear and simple guidelines on dispute resolution, written in plain English and free of legal jargon. The FSB also called for Acas, the government-funded dispute resolution service, to have a stronger role in the process and should be the source of such guidance.

John Walker, FSB Policy Chairman, said:

“Long-winded disputes are immensely damaging for small businesses. The disruption to the everyday functions of the business can even be terminal.

“This is why it’s so important that, on the rare occasions when disputes have to be settled formally, the procedures are easy to follow and free from legal jargon.

“We welcome the initiative to reform the system of dispute resolution and hope that the Government comes to understand the vulnerability of small businesses when disputes arise.”



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Federation of Small Businesses

Federation of Small Businesses

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