Business Minister, Michael Fallon, has confirmed that a review of the way appeals are handled by regulators will form the first stage of ‘bureaucracy-busting measures’ designed to reduce red tape on business.
The Focus on Enforcement Appeals Review will allow businesses and other interested parties to take part in a review of the effectiveness of appeals mechanisms operated by national and local regulators, and will give those affected the opportunity to talk about their experiences of formal and informal appeals processes, and suggest how they could be made to work more effectively, providing a swifter route to resolution and better industry understanding.
The review will also gather examples of approaches that have successfully helped businesses understand regulators’ decisions and meet their obligations more effectively.
Business Minister, Michael Fallon, said:
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“We have started a bonfire of excessive red tape, but I know that it is just as important that we look at the way that Regulations are enforced.
“There is room for far more effective enforcement which reduces the burden on business which stick to the rules. Despite best efforts, sometimes things can go wrong – that has become clear from previous Focus on Enforcement Reviews. So I want to hear views on how we can improve the way appeals currently work.
“Greater clarity and trust between regulators and businesses will lead to better enforcement of the law and higher standards across the board.”
As Mr Fallon indicated, evidence arising from sector-specific Focus on Enforcement reviews has already indicated that businesses have concerns about how current appeals systems operate. These include confusing or multiple appeals mechanisms, a lack of transparency, and in some cases resolution taking excessively long periods of time.
