Businesses are still waiting

3 July 2006

Businesses are still waiting to see the Government’s ‘Better Regulation’ initiatives deliver practical results, according to a new dossier of case studies from IoD members.

Complex employment law, the administrative burdens associated with environmental rules and the anti-money laundering regime feature strongly among the regulation headaches highlighted by IoD members.

IoD Director General Miles Templeman said:

“These first-hand accounts show that the Government still has a long way to go on tackling regulatory burdens. Although we support many of the current “Better Regulation” initiatives, too many of them remain exactly that – initiatives. The Government needs to deliver – quickly.

“Our members will only believe it when they see a noticeable reduction in the amount of time they have to spend on filling in forms, dealing with inspectors and keeping up to date with the latest changes in the law. Less time spent on these activities will mean more time spent on developing their businesses, and that means more jobs and greater prosperity in our economy.’

“Most of the case studies in this dossier have been submitted to the Cabinet Office’s ‘simplification portal’. The Government now has 90 days to respond with an indication of what action it plans to take on each point – or an explanation of why nothing can be done.

Miles Templeman added:

“We will be working with Government officials to tackle as many of these problems as possible. In many cases there is no need to change the law; it is a case of simplifying a form or taking a more risk-based approach. We just need to see the right degree of political will.”

To download a copy of this report please click here.