According to the live poll, 53% of APSCo members would want to see the trade body exploring the option of licensing. However, speaking at a debate on the subject in London, and streamed over the web in Birmingham and Manchester, APSCo chief executive Ann Swain (above, left) said she didn’t think the result “gave us a clear mandate”. The main advantages of licensing, voters said, were outlawing rogue agencies, improving standards and creating barriers to entry. However, 42% of those polled said APSCo should not explore licensing, citing concerns over increased bureaucracy and a “lack of teeth”. Despite the percentage of people saying that licensing should not be explored, only 10% said that the current regulatory regime provided confidence in recruitment businesses.