Prime minister pledges to remove 3,000 'crazy' business regulations for SMEs

Prime minister, David Cameron has pledged to remove up to 3,000 business regulations which are currently holding back small businesses from expanding in their respective industries.
 
Mr Cameron disclosed in a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) that his government is the first administration in modern history to reduce overall domestic legislation for business whilst in office.
 
Speaking at the FSB’s inaugural policy conference, Cameron confirmed the coalition government had already abolished or simplified 800 regulations. Within the reductions includes a move to slash the amount of environmental obligations which businesses are expected to comply with.
 
According to Mr Cameron, some 80,000 pages of environmental guidance have been ‘slashed’ to save small businesses £100 million a year.
 
"We have trawled through thousands of pieces of regulation – from the serious to the ridiculous, and we will be scrapping or amending over 3,000 regulations – saving business well over £850 million every single year.
 
"That’s half a million pounds which will be saved for businesses every single day of the year.”
 
Mr Cameron has also pledged to heighten the pressure on the European Commission; the Government’s Business Taskforce has made 30 recommendations at the heart of the push.
 
The prime minister looked back on regulations previously brought into force by former governments, questioning their effectiveness.
 
"Let me just give you a few more crazy examples dreamt up in the past by Whitehall bureaucrats," said Cameron.
 
"Employees used to be able to sue their employer if they were insulted by a customer. We’ve changed the Equality Act to stop that. Shopkeepers used to need a poison licence to sell oven cleaner – we’re scrapping that."
 
Mike Cherry, national policy chairman for the FSN, said: "As all recognise, small firms are central to the UK’s economic recovery.
 
"Having support from the prime minister and policymakers from all parties is critical to ensuring small business issues are front and centre of the economic debate around rebuilding rebalancing our economy.”


Image: Ben Fisher/GAVI Alliance

Date published 27 Jan 2014 | Last updated 27 Jan 2014