News story

Red Tape Challenge

The Government has launched a website challenging the public to help us cut unnecessary regulations.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Red Tape Challenge website

For years red tape and bureaucracy have been allowed to spiral out of control. Excessive regulation is burdening businesses, hurting our economy and damaging our society.

In a letter to all Government Ministers, the Prime Minister said he wanted to “tackle regulation with vigour”.

Mr Cameron said he wanted the public to get involved with evidence from the “real world” on which regulations work and which ones are creating obstacles.

The PM said:

There are over 21,000 statutory rules and regulations in force, and I want us to bring that number - and the burden it represents - down.  Indeed, I want us to be the first government in modern history to leave office having reduced the overall burden of regulation, rather than increasing it.

Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell has also welcomed the initiative as an “opportunity to help drive changes”.

In a letter to all Permanent Secretaries he said he was making this work a “high personal priority” and will be meeting regularly to ensure real progress is being made.

Every few weeks the Government will publish all the regulations in one specific sector or industry and ask the public to tell us what’s working and what’s not, what can be simplified and what can be scrapped.

Once we’ve received your feedback Ministers will have three months to work out which regulations should be kept and why.

From 7 April to 5 May the site is open for your thoughts on regulation in the retail sector - and how we can cut it.

Read more: Red Tape Challenge

Read more: PM’s letter to Government minister’s on cutting red tape

Published 7 April 2011