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21st April 2011
NEWS IN BRIEF
The government earlier this month launched its so-called “Red Tape Challenge” website asking members of the public to give their views as to which regulations should stay, which should be merged and which should be scrapped.
The proposals, clearly ideological, are a blatant attack on (literally) every aspect of legal protection available to workers in this country.
Every few weeks the government is publishing regulations relating to a specific sector - from retail to transport - but throughout the process it is carrying general regulations that relate to all sectors, such as those on employment, equalities, pensions, health and safety and company law. There is no explanation for this.
Government officials will collate the comments posted on the site and ministers will then have three months to decide which regulations they will scrap “with the presumption that all burdensome regulations should go unless the government departments can justify why they are needed”.
At the end of the three-month review of each sector, departments will set out which regulations they intend to repeal and by when. The government promises that “for those regulations that “are going we will aim to repeal them as quickly as possible.”
The priority will be to focus on regulations that “place the biggest burdens on businesses and society”, although this is not defined. The only exceptions are regulations in relation to tax or national security.
All 151 regulations that relate to employment are included in the review, as is the whole of the Equality Act 2010. Likewise, all 131 regulations that relate to health and safety are up for grabs.
The site just asks whether the person is commenting on their own behalf or on behalf of an organisation. If the latter, whether it is big or small. The questions about the regulations are the same for each sector:
• Should they be scrapped altogether?
• Can they be merged with existing regulations?
• Can we simplify them – or reduce the bureaucracy associated with them?
• Have you got any ideas to make these regulations better?
• Do you think they should be left as they are?
The site will be available from April 2011 until April 2013, which is perhaps not surprising as it aims to cover all 21,000 statutory rules and regulations that are active in the UK today. Rules and regulations that exist for good reasons - to protect workers from unscrupulous employers.
For more information and to give your views on the government’s proposals, go to: http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about/
21st April 2011
NEWS IN BRIEF
The government earlier this month launched its so-called “Red Tape Challenge” website asking members of the public to give their views as to which regulations should stay, which should be merged and which should be scrapped.
The proposals, clearly ideological, are a blatant attack on (literally) every aspect of legal protection available to workers in this country.
Every few weeks the government is publishing regulations relating to a specific sector - from retail to transport - but throughout the process it is carrying general regulations that relate to all sectors, such as those on employment, equalities, pensions, health and safety and company law. There is no explanation for this.
Government officials will collate the comments posted on the site and ministers will then have three months to decide which regulations they will scrap “with the presumption that all burdensome regulations should go unless the government departments can justify why they are needed”.
At the end of the three-month review of each sector, departments will set out which regulations they intend to repeal and by when. The government promises that “for those regulations that “are going we will aim to repeal them as quickly as possible.”
The priority will be to focus on regulations that “place the biggest burdens on businesses and society”, although this is not defined. The only exceptions are regulations in relation to tax or national security.
All 151 regulations that relate to employment are included in the review, as is the whole of the Equality Act 2010. Likewise, all 131 regulations that relate to health and safety are up for grabs.
The site just asks whether the person is commenting on their own behalf or on behalf of an organisation. If the latter, whether it is big or small. The questions about the regulations are the same for each sector:
• Should they be scrapped altogether?
• Can they be merged with existing regulations?
• Can we simplify them – or reduce the bureaucracy associated with them?
• Have you got any ideas to make these regulations better?
• Do you think they should be left as they are?
The site will be available from April 2011 until April 2013, which is perhaps not surprising as it aims to cover all 21,000 statutory rules and regulations that are active in the UK today. Rules and regulations that exist for good reasons - to protect workers from unscrupulous employers.
For more information and to give your views on the government’s proposals, go to: http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about/
