Website of the UK government

Cutting unnecessary rules and regulations

The Red Tape Challenge is reviewing different parts of government in turn to see if certain rules and regulations are needed, or whether they just get in the way. 

To take part in the Red Tape Challenge, follow the link below.

• The Red Tape Challenge Opens new window

Current theme - water and marine

The current theme covers over 420 regulations relating to water and marine. Smarter regulation is intended to remove barriers to innovation and growth whilst protecting the environment. Your views are invited in the following categories:

Water

These regulations ensure the health of our rivers and water environment, and cover the water industry.

Inland waterways

These regulations enable the Environment Agency and British Waterways to manage our inland waterways effectively.

Flood and coastal erosion

These regulations cover maintaining the ability to respond to flood emergencies.

Sea fisheries

These regulations support the sustainability of marine fish, through monitoring fishing activities and enforcing standards on equipment, vessels and by catch.

Freshwater fisheries

These cover the regulation of freshwater fishing and angling.

Marine environment

These regulations deal with conservation of our marine ecosystems and aquatic life, and include a licensing system for potentially damaging marine activities.

• Water & Marine Red Tape Challenge Opens new window

Red tape slashed so far

Your comments to Red Tape Challenge have helped drive the changes below in road transport, retail and hospitality, food and drink regulations:

Road transport

• scrapping the regulation requiring motorists to hold a paper counterpart to their driving licence by 2015
  
• removing the need for motorists to submit annual SORN renewals once a vehicle has been declared off road

Other proposed changes include removing the need for motorists to hold an insurance certificate. Also, drivers will no longer be required to prove they have insurance when applying for car tax, meaning many more people will be able to tax their cars online.

Retail

• consolidation of more than 12 pieces of overlapping consumer rights law to form a single piece of legislation
• simplification of burdensome rules for retailers such as age verification on restricted goods and licensing for low-risk products like fly spray and toilet cleaner
• abolition of heavy-handed intervention such as shops needing an alcohol licence to sell chocolate liqueurs

In addition, some redundant retail rules will be cut. These include the war-time 'Trading With The Enemy Act' and its 98 linked regulations, as well as rules around the safety of pencils and prams.

Hospitality, food and drink

• scrapping of regulations on the location and design of no smoking signs
• reduction in the number of food labelling and contents regulations from 34 to 17
• streamlining of food safety regulations, reducing the number from 34 to 11

There are also plans to change regulations to make it clear that properties rented out for less than four months in a year do not need Energy Performance Certificates.

Energy

• helping smaller suppliers join the energy market
• removing redundant regulations covering the health and welfare of pit ponies
• simplifying the rules around very low-level radioactive materials

Thanks to your comments, simpler rules will make life easier for both businesses and individuals.