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Consultation on improving Regulatory Impact Assessments

24 July 2006
CAB 045/06

A public consultation on a proposed new Impact Assessment process was launched today by Hilary Armstrong, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Building on the success of producing Regulatory Impact Assessments for almost all policy developments, Government has been considering how best to improve their effectiveness in minimising the burden of new regulation.  The key objectives of the proposed changes are to ensure that Impact Assessments present all cost and benefit information in an even more transparent way, and are carried out and updated throughout the policy making process in order to make policy makers more accountable, and open to reasonable scrutiny.

Hilary Armstrong, the Minister responsible for leading the better regulation agenda across government, said:

'Regulatory Impact Assessments have been a cornerstone of the Government's approach to better regulation and are a key part of our policy-making tool kit. This document proposes a new, streamlined Impact Assessment which increases transparency significantly, and is flexible enough to enable it to be embedded in policy making from the earliest stages, right the way through to post-implementation review.

The better regulation agenda is about finding more effective ways of delivering protection without placing unnecessary burdens on those who are regulated. It is about streamlining bureaucracy to boost productivity and prosperity, increase voluntary activity and modernise public services because what is good for the economy benefits everyone in it.

I strongly urge those with in interest to put forward their views and be part of a dialogue with us in order that we can make this new format as robust and effective as possible.'

The consultation document is available online on the RIA section of the BRE website.

Notes to editors

  1. RIAs must be completed for all policy changes which could affect the public or private sectors, charities, the voluntary sector or small businesses. This supports the government's aim of only regulating when necessary. For more information see the RIA section of he BRE site.

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