Government unveils raft of red tape cuts for business

Announced in response to the feedback received on the government’s Red Tape Challenge website, the measures are designed to simplify and cut back on existing laws and regulations to make it cheaper and easier for UK firms to comply.

In relation to employment law, the new measures announced are:

• Acas early conciliation: From 6 April, anyone considering taking their employer to a tribunal must contact Acas first, who will offer a free conciliation service to attempt to resolve disputes early. From 6 May, this service will be mandatory.
• Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE): The government has promised that business transfers will be ‘simpler’ under these regulations, making it easier for firms to comply with the law whilst ensuring employees are protected.

The government has also announced some measures designed to save businesses ‘time and money’, including:

• Simplifications of environmental red tape: Businesses are no longer required to complete ‘Waste Transfer Notes’, which will be replaced by an electronic system; the government claimed this will save round 23.5 million pieces of ‘unnecessary paperwork’.
• Simpifications of change of use: Certain types of development can now be converted to other uses without the need for full planning permission; these include conversions from retail to residential or banking use and changes from agricultural to residential or state funded educational use. The government claimed this will make it easier to get empty and redundant buildings back to full use quickly.

• Primary Authority scheme extended to fire safety regulations: The ‘Primary Authority’ scheme lets businesses operating across council boundaries partner up with a single local authority for compliance matters.
• A new Regulators’ Code: Replacing the Regulators’ Compliance Code, a new statutory framework came into force on 6 April which provides a ‘clear and flexible’ framework for how regulators should engage with those they regulate.

Announcing the measures, business minister Michael Fallon said: “By reducing government meddling we are creating a better environment in which to do business and laying the foundations for strong and sustained growth.

“We are on track to be the first government in modern history to reduce the weight of regulation on business.”

Read more