WIREDGOV

Plans to scrap or simplify more than 60 regulations, freeing the public and businesses from overly burdensome, bureaucratic or completely redundant rules have been announced today by Tourism Minister John Penrose.

The proposals come from nearly 600 comments from the public and businesses as part of the Government’s rigorous Red Tape Challenge. They will see significant changes to legislation that will make life easier for businesses and promote personal freedoms.

The Government has launched an assault on the unnecessary regulation that holds the hospitality industry back. This includes proposals to: 

• Reduce bureaucracy in licensing by making application forms simpler and, following consultation, give local areas more flexibility over late-night refreshment licensing, the process for obtaining a Temporary Event Notice (TENs) and reducing the administrative burdens on businesses with minimal alcohol sales, such as B&Bs. The Government will support responsible businesses and empower local communities to help prevent and tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder;
• Scrap the regulations covering the location and design of no smoking signs;
• Change regulations to make clear that properties rented out for less than four months in a year do not need Energy Performance Certificates.  Guidance will also make clear that an EPC is not required where a property is used for short term holiday lets as long as certain conditions are met; and 
• Tackle excess charges for inspection of private water supplies through increased transparency.
• It has also launched a major programme of improvement for food regulations that will particularly benefit smaller businesses and new entrants.  Specific measures that are being announced include:
• A rationalisation of food labelling and composition regulations – reducing the number from 34 to 17 - and a new “food labelling map”, making it much easier for businesses to know the rules they need to follow;
• A streamlining of food safety regulations, reducing the number of regulations from 34 to 11.    This will include the scrapping of a number of regulations where protection is provided under other legislation such as rules on arsenic, chloroform, and ungraded eggs.   Remaining legislation will be consolidated so that most food businesses will only need to look at one regulation.
• The removal of unnecessary “gold plating” of European regulations that cost businesses money such as requirements on minimum hardness of bottled water and the fortification of margarine;
• A consultation on requirements for child minders and groups in village halls to register separately as food businesses, including the option of removing the requirements.

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