In April 2011, the Government launched the Red Tape Challenge with the aim of scrapping regulations identified as unnecessary or which could be merged, simplified or improved. The challenge involves a public review of over 21,000 statutory instruments grouped into themes such as employment, pensions, company law, equality, health and safety and environmental law.
It is envisaged that every few weeks for the next two years, the Government will publish on the Red Tape Challenge website all the regulations affecting one specific sector or industry. These will be open for public comment for several weeks and comments can be made via the website.
Based on the feedback obtained the relevant Government department will then have three months to consider whether to amend the regulations or scrap them altogether. The Government has indicated that Ministers will have to come up with very good reasons if they wish to keep any of the regulations. Reports detailing what action will be taken will be published on the website for each sector three months after comments on that sector have closed.
View the Government announcement (webpage).
