In his speech to the Federation of Small Businesses, David Cameron has declared that his government is the first administration in modem history to lower overall domestic regulation for business while in office.
Speaking at the trade organisation’s inaugural policy conference, the prime minister has abolished or simplified 800 regulations.
Amongst the reductions in regulation is a move to curb the amount of environmental obligations which businesses are expected to comply with. According to a statement, some 80,000 pages of environmental guidance have been ‘slashed’ to save small businesses £100 million a year.
‘We have trawled through thousands of pieces of regulation from the serious to the ridiculous, and we will be scrapping or amending over 3,000 regulations – saving business well over £850 million every single year,’ Cameron said.
‘That’s half a million pounds which will be saved for businesses every single day of the year.’
Cameron has also promised to continue the pressure being implemented by his government on the European Commission – with his Business Taskforce 30 recommendations at the heart of the push.
He also looked back on regulations brought into force by the former governments, criticising their effectiveness.
‘Let me just give you a few more crazy examples dreamt up in the past by Whitehall bureaucrats,’ he explained.
‘Employees used to be able to sue their employer if they were insulted by a customer. We’ve changed the Equality Act to stop that. Shopkeepers used to need a poison licence to sell oven cleaner – we’re scrapping that.’
Mike Cherry, FSN national policy chairman, says, ‘As all recognise, small firms are central to the UK’s economic recovery.
‘Having support from the prime minister and policymakers from all parties is critical to ensuring small business issues are front and centre of the economic debate around rebuilding rebalancing our economy.’
Further reading on business regulation:
