British Furniture Confederation publishes latest quarterly activity review

The British Furniture Confederation has published its latest quarterly review.

APPFIG reformed and Parliamentary Drop-In planned

The General Election on 4 July 2024 meant that the All-Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group (APPFIG), along with all the other All-Party Groups, ceased to exist. 

The inaugural meeting of the APPFIG was held on Wednesday 19 March 2025 and Adam Thompson MP, the newly elected Labour MP for Erewash, was elected as the Group’s Chair.  An additional three officers were elected:

• Sarah Smith MP (Labour, Hyndburn)
• Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Labour)
• Greg Smith MP (Conservative, Mid Buckinghamshire)

In addition, the following MPs agreed to serve as Members of the Group:

• James Wild MP (Con, North West Norfolk)
• Lee Anderson MP (Reform, Ashfield)
• Alex McIntyre MP (Lab, Gloucester)
• Lauren Sullivan MP (Lab, Gravesham)
• Alistair Strathern MP (Lab, Hitchin)
• Andy MacNae MP (Lab, Rossendale and Darwen)
• Anneliese Midgley MP (Lab, Knowsley)
• Dr Jeevun Sandher MP (Lab, Loughborough)
• Sean Woodcock MP (Lab, Banbury)
• Amanda Hack MP (Lab, North West Leicestershire)
• Antonia Bance MP (Lab, Tipton and Wednesbury)
• Sadik Al-Hassan MP (Lab, North Somerset)
• James Naish MP (Lab, Rushcliffe)
• Maya Ellis MP (Lab, Ribble Valley)
• Joe Morris MP (Lab, Hexham)
• Laurence Turner MP (Lab, Birmingham Northfield)

The Group has been formally registered as an All Party Group and the next meeting is planned for 8 July 2025.  This will be followed by a parliamentary drop-in to promote the Plan for Growth and to share insight on the industry.  

Members of the trade associations that are members of the BFC are strongly encouraged to write to their local MPs to ask them to attend APPFIG meetings in Parliament, and support the work of the Group.

BFC Executive Meetings

The BFC Executive met on 6 March to review the final Plan for Growth document, receive an update on the reforming of the APPFIG, begin planning the Confederation Lunch, and discuss ongoing issues within the industry.  These included flammability regulations, budget measures/taxation, the taskforce on the circular economy, and the copyright/AI consultation.

On 28 April, the BFC Executive met to plan for the launch of the Plan for Growth report, confirm the launch and registration of the APPFIG, continue discussions on the Confederation Lunch, and discuss ongoing issues within the industry.  This included US tariffs, flammability regulations, budget measures/taxation, the taskforce on the circular economy, EPR packaging, the copyright/AI consultation, and the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [HL].

The BFC Executive met again on 2 June to plan ahead for the upcoming APPFIG meeting on 8 July that will be followed by a two-hour drop-in session for MPs to meet with industry representatives.  The meeting also allowed for a discussion on the latest policy developments including the circular economy, US Tariffs and impact on Carbon Steel, Flammability Regulations and Skills policy announcements.

Plan for Growth

The BFC launched its Plan for Growth on 6 March 2025 at a meeting attended by Adam Thompson MP and members of the BFC’s Political Affairs Advisory Group (PAAC).  The plan aims to engage the new Government in fostering growth and resilience in the industry, which contributes over £41 billion to the UK economy and supports 260,000 jobs. The document focuses on four key areas: skills and education, trade and exports, standards and regulations, and the environment and the circular economy. Through targeted government support, improved policies, and industry collaboration, the BFC seeks to enhance manufacturing, innovation, and sustainability while ensuring the sector remains competitive globally.

Further promotion of the Plan for Growth will happen over the coming weeks and with parliamentarians at the drop-in session on 8 July.

Meeting with Greg Smith MP, Shadow Business Minister

The BFC has been reaching out to MPs with high numbers of furniture industry businesses in their constituencies to raise the profile of the industry and highlight industry challenges. Jonathan Hindle met the Shadow Business Minister, Greg Smith MP, on 5 March 2025 to discuss policy developments and the companies that are based in his constituency.  At the meeting, Mr Smith also agreed to serve as an officer to the APPFIG.

Circular Economy (CE)

The BFC Executive would like to ensure early involvement of the furniture sector in developing the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passport requirements.  The Confederation has written to Mary Creagh CBE MP, the Minister for Nature, to outline the industry’s interest in getting actively involved at the earliest stages of policy development on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the forthcoming digital product passports under the ESPR. The BFC is keen to avoid a scenario where stakeholders are consulted only at the final stages of policy development.

A reply from the Minister was received on 11 February 2025 in which the BFC’s wish to contribute to the Taskforce was welcomed. Recent industry meetings attended by Minister Creagh, DEFRA officials and BFC representatives allowed the industry’s voice to be heard but concerns exist on the level of understanding that exists on the furniture industry and its products. 

The Task Force has identified six initial priority areas: agrifood; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles and footwear; and transport (including tyres).

Although furniture and flooring are not formally designated as a standalone category, the industry is currently treated as spanning both the built environment and textiles categories. The BFC is concerned that the built environment category is too broad to reflect the specific challenges and opportunities facing furniture manufacturers and retailers.

There is broad consensus within the industry that EPR schemes should be industry-led, with government providing the enabling environment, oversight, and enforcement powers. A model where government endorses and regulates well-designed, industry-developed EPR schemes, rather than attempting to design and manage them centrally could be more effectively implemented, given limited public finances.

Ongoing engagement with Government Departments

The BFC has continued to liaise with Civil Servants in the Department of Business and Trade to ensure that industry concerns and issues are brought to the immediate attention of government ministers. These have included labour shortages, flammability regulations, business rates relief, the future of skills and training, the cost of energy, and supply chain challenges.

The BFC has submitted a response to the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Copyright and AI consultations, focusing on the importance of the industry for the UK economy, the increased demand expected in light of the Government’s housebuilding target, and the value that is placed on British-made furniture, furnishings, beds, and floorcoverings around the world.

Members of the BFC Executive have also attended meetings with Gareth Thomas, MP (small business minister at DBT) and Mary Creagh, MP (circular economy minister at DEFRA).

US Tariffs on Carbon Steel

The BFC is closely monitoring developments regarding UK-US trade agreement obligations on supply chain transparency for steel and aluminium.  Concern is currently focused on furniture exports to the US that contain carbon steel components and the potential to incur high US steel tariffs.  The BFC will be raising this at the upcoming APPFIG meeting.

Flammability Regulations

The Government published its long-awaited response to the 2023 review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993 and 2010) on 22 January 2025.

In the response, the Government recognised the important role specific regulations for domestic upholstered furniture fire safety play in keeping UK consumers safe and is committed to delivering reforms that maintain a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants.

The BFC Executive is following developments closely in order to ensure that new legislation delivers for both consumers and businesses. The Government will provide an update later this year, setting out the final position on the remaining issues highlighted in this document and a roadmap for implementing changes.

However, the Government will be taking immediate action to amend the FFRs based on evidence collected in consultation responses. Changes to the existing legislation will be made as soon as parliamentary time allows and will take effect six months later, in line with obligations under the UK’s World Trade Organisation commitments. The main amendments are as follows:

• Remove certain baby and children’s products from scope of the FFRs, where evidence supports their removal from scope. This will reduce babies’ and children’s exposure to CFRs where the risk of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals is greater than the fire risk posed by those products. (A list of the products being removed from scope has been included at Annex A).
• Remove the requirement for manufacturers to affix a display label to new products, reflecting the limited value of the display label.
• Extend the time frame for instituting legal proceedings from 6 – 12 months, providing the right tools for effective enforcement.

Additionally, the OPSS is currently holding ongoing stakeholder consultations on amended flame retardant regulations, expected to come into force in October. There is a complexity highlighted regarding UK and Irish regulatory divergence on labelling requirements and the BFC will be monitoring and informing members about the upcoming OPSS survey on traceability testing.

Immigration White Paper

On 12 May 2025, the Government published the Immigration White Paper, Restoring Control Over the Immigration System. While the document does not directly reference the sector, a number of proposed reforms are likely to have significant indirect consequences for manufacturers, designers, and associated trades within the UK furniture supply chain.

One of the most consequential proposals is the tightening of the Skilled Worker visa route. The salary threshold for eligible roles is being increased significantly, from £26,200 to £38,700, excluding only those listed on the rebranded Immigration Salary List (which replaces the Shortage Occupation List) and new graduate entrants.

The White Paper also introduces stricter criteria for family and dependant visas. The minimum income requirement for sponsoring a family member is set to increase to £29,000 initially and later to £38,700. These measures could make the UK less attractive to migrant workers considering relocation, potentially exacerbating recruitment and retention difficulties in an already constrained labour market.

Further proposals target the student migration route, with plans to restrict international students’ ability to bring dependants and a review of the Graduate Route that currently allows post-study work.

Underlying all these proposals is a broader government aim to reduce reliance on overseas labour. The White Paper makes it clear that employers should prioritise training and recruitment of domestic workers and invest in upskilling existing staff.

DfE Announcement on Skills

In May 2025, the Department for Education announced a package of reforms intended to rebuild the UK workforce by investing in young people and reducing reliance on migration. Titled Next generation of builders and carers set to rebuild Britain, the announcement outlines a £3 billion commitment to apprenticeships and skills programmes, with particular emphasis on expanding opportunities in priority sectors such as construction, healthcare, and digital industries. These changes form a key part of the Government’s wider Plan for Change and are intended to reverse declining apprenticeship uptake and address critical labour shortages.

While the press release does not specifically reference furniture or manufacturing, the inclusion of carpentry, construction skills, and technical education suggests a potential overlap with roles and competencies found across the UK furniture supply chain. Of particular note is the commitment to 120,000 new training places and 30,000 additional apprenticeships over this Parliament, alongside the creation of 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges focused on construction skills.

The announcement also outlines a significant reallocation of apprenticeship funding. From January 2026, government support will be redirected away from Level 7 (master’s-level) apprenticeships in favour of Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications – a shift that may benefit the furniture sector.

Moreover, the Government is implementing a 32 per cent increase in the Immigration Skills Charge, with the stated aim of redirecting funds to support domestic workforce development. While this reinforces the broader direction of travel outlined in the recent immigration white paper – namely, a reduced reliance on migrant labour – it also increases the cost burden on employers who continue to require international hires.