Red tape costs to be cut faster

From this month, every new regulation imposing a new financial burden on firms must be offset by reductions in red tape that will save double those costs. The new One-in, Two-out rule will involve every government department and apply to all domestic regulation affecting businesses and voluntary organisations.

The new rule will replace the One-in, One-out regime, which the government says has reduced net costs on business by almost £1 billon since January 2011.

Announcing One-in, Two-out, Business Minister Michael Fallon said: “Every year businessmen and women still spend too much time and money complying with government regulations, when they should be developing and growing their businesses.

“That’s why we are upping the pace. It will require policymakers to make tough choices, and to think hard about how to get government off the backs of hard-working and hard-pressed businesses”.