Better regulation
The Government is committed to tackling unnecessary or disproportionate
regulation that affects third sector organisations. The Charities Act 2006
makes a number of deregulatory changes that will particularly benefit small
charities. The Government has responded to the Better Regulation
Commission's report ‘Better regulation for civil society’. The Better
Regulation Executive is co–ordinating a cross Government programme which
involves all departments producing simplification plans which will cut red
tape for businesses, charities and the voluntary sector.
Better Regulation for Civil Society
The Office of the Third Sector has published the Government's response
to the Better Regulation Commission's (BRC) report ‘Better regulation
for civil society’.
The report made 11 recommendations, and identified five areas for further
work – focusing on specific areas of regulation that were a particular
burden to third sector organisations. The Government fully or partly
accepted almost all of the recommendations, which were directed at a wide
range of government departments, agencies and regulators.
Departmental Simplification Plans
All government departments are developing simplification plans which will
set out how they can reduce regulatory burdens on businesses, charities and
the voluntary sector. These plans are expected to be published later this
year. Third sector organisations should benefit from many of these plans,
but in particular, the Charity Commission's simplification plan will
identify further de-regulatory measures that could significantly benefit
charities.
These follow the administrative burdens reduction exercise which, using an
internationally recognised standard cost model, measured the administrative
costs for businesses, charities and the voluntary sector, that arise from
complying with regulations.
Further details about departmental simplification plans, and the
administrative burdens reduction exercise can be found on the Better Regulation Executive
website [external website].
In addition, charities and other third sector organisations can put forward
proposals for better regulation to the Better Regulation Executive.
