1. Enterprising Regulation Workshop
Kingston November 2013
Erica Sheward
Better Regulation Delivery Office

2. Better Regulation Delivery Office
• Expert unit in the UK Government Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills
• Responsible for delivering the Government’s commitment
to cut red tape, improve public protection and boost UK
economy through better regulatory enforcement
•Transforming the business experience of regulation at the
front line

3. BRDO: Who we work
with
We work with
businesses to reduce
burdens and improve
regulation for them
We bring national
and local regulators
and policy makers
together to create
tools that cut red
tape and provide
protection
We advise
Government
on delivering
regulation and
inspections
BRDO

4. A game of 2 halves
• What we do
The practice of doing
better regulation
• Why we do it
What works

5. It’s not about balance- It’s about a win/ win
• Regulation for a
purpose
• Compliance not the end
point
• Focus on outcomes –
prosperity and
protection

6. Key messages for prosperity and protection
• ‘Good’ regulation can support growth, as much as
‘poor’ regulation hinders it
• How regulation is delivered (enforcement) matters
• Key aspects of delivery include
– Right level regulation-local/regional/national
– Hearing business as the ‘customer’ of regulation

7. Regulatory outcomes
Place People
Production
Green
Growth
Safe
Communities
Environment
Economy
Society
Prosperous
communities
Quality
of life

8. It’s about risk based regulation
a) Strategic Risk – recognising emphasis from policy
and statute
b) Prioritisation – across markets and hazards
c) Operational Risk Assessment – selecting optimum
intervention strategies
d) Risk Based Targeting – maximising the value of
inspection
e) Sanctioning by Risk – ensuring a proportionate
response

9. 61% of businesses: Local councils do not understand
businesses well enough to regulate
LBRO/NAO Business perspectives survey 2012
1 in 7 businesses: regulation is the most
challenging aspect of running a business
80% businesses: non-compliance would affect
relationships with our customers

10. Some of our BR Initiatives- What works?
• Primary Authority – direct and coordinated
partnerships, large and small businesses
• RDNA and GRIP
• IRIS
• The Regulators Code
• LEPs
• Interventions Research

11. Primary Authority for small businesses:
Horsham Council and the Meat traders
•The retail/catering butchery sector linked with
2 major E coli outbreaks in 1996 and 2005
killing over 20
• Compliance with food safety legislation in this
Sector (particularly HACCP requirements) traditionally low
 Horsham Council working with a group of small retail butchers developed
assured advice under a Primary Authority shared approach to compliance
 Businesses involved in the process of developing assured advice in the form of
a food safety toolkit with the local authority regulator who was an expert in
enforcement in the meat sector
 Assurance for businesses that if they used the tools and followed the advice
they would be compliant

12. Regulators Competency
The availability of a cost-effective
means for regulators to address their
development needs is helping to
meet the challenge at both national
and local level to maintain the
professional competency of staff with
limited resources.
One key aim is to encourage and
equip regulators to make greater use
of their professional judgment and
discretion, in order to maximise
compliance in a way that is best
suited to the particular circumstances

13. The Regulators Code
• This is a statutory Code of
Practice that replaces the
Regulators’ Compliance Code. It
provides a clear framework for
how regulators, ranging from
national organisations to local
authorities, should interact with
those they regulate. It has been
published now to allow regulators
the maximum time to reflect on its
content and prepare for its
introduction. It is anticipated that
the Code will be brought into
statutory force (by a Statutory
Instrument) in April 2014.

14. LEPs- BBFA
• BRDO is working with
LEPs to identify
regulatory approaches
that support local
enterprise and make
this learning available to
others in the form of
Better Business for All
(BBFA) resources

15. Research
Regulatory
‘Interventions’
Rapid Evidence
Assessment
Which regulatory interventions maintain
protections whilst supporting economic
growth?

16. Sustainable improvement
in delivering regulation
Rules
Frameworks Performance Management
Accountability to business
Culture/Competency
Leadership
Values

17. Thank you -Questions?