Red Tape Challenge - Again

If you are in trading standards or another of the 'regulatory' (not a descriptor I am at all fond of but central and local government seem to insist?!) or public protection professions you get used to but no less weary of being described by politicians and similarly slavishly by their officials as a 'burden' on business. There is always the occasional and convenient anecdote available to illustrate this of course which feeds the policy by anecdote appetite but does little to paint the real picture. Trading standards has been a 'better regulation' profession long before it became a soundbite for politicians many of whom had been party to the imposition of red tape burdens in the first place as making new legislation too often has been the response to any new malpractice etc. We invented the 'home authority' principle which businesses of all sizes have found so supportive for 40 years and which Government and Parliament have since extended to the 'primary authority' principle in tandem. Good. Some rules can be daft and no longer fit with our modern needs. Why would you want to impose controls on the sale of chocolate liqueurs or Christmas crackers? So when Vince Cable made his announcement yesterday that the Red Tape Challenge is to see 160 regulations scrapped in the retail sector I raised another weary and muted cheer but with a resigned eye to looking for his applause of the burdens that my trading standards peers lift from small, medium and big business rather than impose. One day perhaps......although to be fair he has said that we are the most important front line service together with CAB in the entire consumer landscape so that gives us hope!