With more than 21,000 regulations currently active in the UK, earlier this year the government made a welcome pledge to reduce this amount and so reducing the overall burden regulation places on businesses and employers.
The Better Regulation Executive (BRE) has played a major part in helping the coalition government’s strategy to reduce regulations. As part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) the BRE offers businesses and employers the chance to directly influence the changes that will affect them. The Red Tape Challenge is one such policy that has come out of the Better Regulation Executive.
The RTC campaign aims to tackle the amount of existing regulations in order to take the burden off businesses, encourage greater personal responsibility and create new jobs. Encouraging businesses from all sectors to speak out about their thoughts and experiences of regulations, the Red Tape Challenge website has been designed to promote open debate and to utilise the valuable experience and ideas of those who deal with regulation on a daily basis.
The website provides a five week slot for each spotlight topic, whether it focuses on a particular regulation or sector. At the end of the five week period the government take on board all the contributions made on the site and take three months to look into which regulations to keep and the reasons why.
There have been 23,575 comments posted on the site so far and according to a recent government announcement as a result of public suggestions there are now plans to scrap or simplify more than 160 regulations.
The Red Tape Challenge has highlighted just how many seemingly unnecessary regulations have come into force over the years. For example, were you aware that if a shop sells chocolate liquors it must have an alcohol license, or that there was an age limit for buying harmless Christmas crackers – and don’t even get me started on the safety of pencils rule!
While it is easy to be cynical, the fact that the government is seeking the advice of those affected by the regulations and are already making changes can only been seen as a positive move. However despite their good intentions, I am sure that the actual process of the Red Tape Challenge – the constant reviews, consultations and changes - are driving employers and small businesses crazy.
Photo by Travelling Lunas – CC
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