Reducing the burden of regulation without lessening the protection it provides is the role of the Better Regulation Executive.  It aims to make everybody’s working life easier by saving people and business time and money, which can then be spent on things that really make a difference.

It focuses on challenging new legislation as well as simplifying and improving existing regulation, which in turn helps reduce administration costs borne by businesses, currently running at about £20 billion a year.

The government target of reducing the regulatory burden to businesses by 25% by 2010 means that BRE works with other government departments and agencies to help them develop plans to either simplify, update or scrap their own rules and regulations.  It also has a voice in the European Commission and European Parliament where it works to improve the quality of EU legislation and reduce the admin burden for businesses across the Community.

BRE’s website, www.betterregulation.gov.uk , shows the difference it has already made to UK businesses and invites suggestions and ideas on how it can simplify regulation even further.