The review is set to examine whether the regulatory landscape inherited by the current government is fit for purpose and develop recommendations to ensure that policies drive economic growth while protecting the environment.
Defra said that the review will explore:
- Whether Defra regulators are equipped to drive economic growth, secure private sector investment and protect the environment
- The customer and stakeholder experience of regulation, including the impact on those who are regulated.
- The efficiency of regulation, in particular whether the current regulatory landscape involves any duplication and/or contradiction, and whether there are opportunities to make improvements.
A timeline for the review has not yet been announced.
It comes as a part of wider work to improve Defra’s ability to contribute to the country’s economic growth – including the development of a circular economy.
The department said this will come through reusing more existing materials, driving down waste across key sectors such as construction and packaging, reducing import costs for businesses and cutting carbon emissions.
Corry was the director of policy for Number 10 under former prime minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2008 and senior adviser on the economy to the prime minister from 2008 until 2010. He is currently the chief executive of the think tank New Philanthropy Capital.
Defra is set to introduce a host of regulatory reforms in the coming years. These include Simpler recycling and extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR).
Head of the scheme administrator for pEPR, Margaret Bates, told the audience at the LARAC Conference last week that Defra is still committed to meeting the Simpler Recycling timeline proposed by the previous government in October 2023.
She also said that local authorities will receive their indicative payments next month – November 2024. Producers received the second version of the illustrative base fees for pEPR at the end of last month (30 September 2024).
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