An open letter, and more information, can be viewed at  [1] www.mas.bis.gov.uk/news/open-letter-to-manufacturing-stakeholders-on-the-future-of-mas.

You have only two weeks to respond - “…ideally setting out your thoughts in writing in less than 4 pages of A4 in an email to the following email address: [2] MAS@bis.gsi.gov.uk.

I would strongly encourage you to take this opportunity and provide your response before the 16 Feb deadline. Having worked for MAS YH and MAS NE for many years we strongly believe that MAS is best provided by specialist private sector organisations - preferably local SME businesses like ourselves - rather than by large national organisations. In our view “light touch” management - as developed so successfully in Yorkshire and the Humber - together with private sector provision - should definitely be the model for MAS across the UK.