The Local Better Regulation Office
LBRO’s overall aim is to secure the effective performance of local authority regulatory services in accordance with the principles of better regulation. The Government has legislated to give it powers to deliver that purpose.
History
The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) was set up as a publically owned company in September 2007 and became a Non-Departmental Public Body with statutory powers in October 2008.
Statutory Powers
LBRO’s six key powers, as set out in the Act, are:
- Operating the Primary Authority scheme. The scheme will improve the co-ordination and consistency of enforcement for businesses that have outlets in more than one local authority area.
- Issuing guidance to local authorities
- Reviewing and revising the list of national priorities for regulatory services (Rogers Review)
- Providing advice to Government (covering England and Wales) on enforcement and regulatory issues
- Developing formal partnerships with national regulators
- Encourage innovation and good practice amongst local authorities
Key projects:
Under the Primary Authority scheme, any business that trades across council boundaries can ask to register one local authority as its source of specialist advice about compliance with trading standards, licensing and environmental health regulations, which becomes its Primary Authority.
The scheme is designed to ensure that key trading laws are applied consistently across the UK. It will mean better co-ordination of local inspection and enforcement activity. Before local regulators start proceedings against a participating organisation, they will need to agree with its Primary Authority a course of enforcement action that is consistent with previously given advice. LBRO will help resolve any differences of opinion through a determination process.
Please visit the LBRO website for a full list of partnerships.
The scheme is a practical learning experience which is open to all environmental health, fire safety, licensing and trading standards officers working in local authorities. They have the opportunity to spend two days at the premises of major companies, gaining valuable insight into how they are run and the challenges they can face when dealing with regulation.
The scheme was launched in March 2009 after extensive testing and evaluation, involving placements at Asda, B&Q, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Thomas Cook and Total.
LBRO also manages the Retail Enforcement Pilot which provides a framework for better collaboration between local authority regulatory services and national regulators. It promotes joined up working among regulators within: health and safety, alcohol licensing, trading standards, environmental health and fire safety.
A full list of current LBRO projects, can be found on the LBRO website.
