Better Regulation

What is Better Regulation?

Regulations in the UK have helped to secure – amongst other things – excellent health and safety, the minimum wage, clear health warnings on food and a cleaner environment. But if individuals and organisations do not understand the purpose of regulation, or the cost of meeting it outweighs the advantage it brings, then confidence in regulation can be lost.

The Department for Work and Pensions is firmly committed to the principles of good regulation and to good quality policy making to achieve proportionate, consistent, transparent and targeted regulation that achieves its policy objective without imposing unnecessary burdens on business, the third sector or the public sector.

Administrative burdens – cutting red tape

We have measured the administrative burden (486KB) that DWP’s regulation places on business, and we have set a target to reduce this by 25 per cent by 2010. To achieve this we are developing a rolling programme of simplification measures.

The Better Regulation Executive has produced a technical summary of the Administrative Burdens Measurement Exercise (93KB) for DWP.

Simplification

Our proposals to reduce administrative burdens, and our other Simplification proposals, are set out in our Simplification Plans.

Read the 2008 simplification Plan (477KB)
Read the 2007 Simplification Plan (182KB)
Read the 2006 Simplification Plan (404KB)

We are keen to hear from our stakeholders with suggestions for how we can simplify our existing regulation. The Better Regulation Executive in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has set up a website where you can contribute your ideas on how regulation can be simplified.

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments are key to delivering good quality regulation. These assessments are informed by consultation with our stakeholders.

Regulation which impacts on business has common commencement dates when legislation will take effect. There are two dates each year, 6 April and 1 October.

Common commencement dates are intended to help business and stakeholders to plan and budget for new regulatory measures.