Mr Putin is the first solicitor to be appointed president of BEMA, the largest engineering trade association in the South West of England and Wales. He said that whilst, for manufacturers, the Budget has been poorly received, other central government initiatives via the DTI are showing promise. Patricia Hewitt has received much praise for her hands-on approach in her role as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; and the launch of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) shows true promise.

"The Government's manufacturing strategy in 2002 saw a push to raise manufacturing performance by encouraging innovation and the transfer of technology. Since then, a raft of support has emerged for manufacturing SMEs.

"The MAS in particular is focused on facilitating technological solutions. Our specialists take a hands-on role in helping companies identify a need, develop the required specifications, source a relevant provider and set up a review process to ensure a return on investment. Our primary role in this process is as facilitators in supporting businesses to utilise technology to ultimately improve productivity and quality and reduce waste.

We often come across manufacturing SMEs who have invested in technology, however, return on investment is less than the potential because outlay for training and support is minimal."

To find out more about the support available from the South West MAS, visit www.swmas.co.uk