Centre-right think tank calls for ‘greater ambition’ on post-Brexit regulation – Politics.co.uk

The Centre for Policy Studies has today welcomed the Government white paper The Benefits of Brexit.

The new paper sets out how the government plans to take advantage of Britains exit from the European Union.

The think tank said it supported the papers intention to make Britain the best regulated economy in the world but warned that more needed to be done to put meat on the bones.

CPS praised the Government for its commitment to keeping the costs of regulation as low as possible, to regulate only where absolutely necessary, and to involve business as an equal partner when drawing up new regulation that affects it.

It also welcomed the adoption of specific CPS recommendations, such as ensuring regulators take account of the impact of their decisions on competition, growth and innovation; simplifying reporting burdens for small and medium sized companies; and pushing forward with the freeports agenda.

But it warned that much tougher deregulatory targets will be needed, as well as a sustained push from the centre.

Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: Fixing our regulatory system is one of the great opportunities of Brexit. But that needs to apply to all regulations, not just those inherited from Brussels.

The 1 billion target for cutting post-Brexit regulation is headline-grabbing but relatively unambitious. We need more detail on what will replace the current system of regulatory budgeting and business impact targets, which are due to expire. It is especially concerning to note that a one-in-two-out system was considered but rejected apparently because it will be too difficult to implement alongside Net Zero.

Above all, the better regulation agenda needs a strong and dedicated champion at the centre of Whitehall, with the power to hold others feet to the fire. The lesson of the past is that if departments and regulators are left to mark their own homework, any push for deregulation will have only a limited impact.

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Centre-right think tank calls for 'greater ambition' on post-Brexit regulation - Politics.co.uk