SMALL firms in the region are spending more than 13 hours per employee a month dealing with red tape, according to a survey.
The NatWest report found administrative burdens on smaller companies were increasing.
Sole traders suffered most, with one-man-band managers spending nearly eight hours a month on red tape.
The average firm with less than 50 staff spends 13.6 hours a person every month on compliance - 600 million hours across the UK each year.
NatWest calculated the additional workload cost the economy an annual £17 billion - two per cent of Britain's gross domestic product.
Nearly two-thirds of the 500 businesses polled believed they had seen an increase in regulatory work, with manufacturing and domestic services companies being hit hardest.
Peter Ibbetson, head of small business services at NatWest said: "Compliance is a necessary part of running a business, but in many cases it has become burdensome and over-complicated."
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