BASC has responded to a consultation on statutory measures the government hopes will improve the implementation and delivery of regulation.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills sought views on growth duty, business impact targets and the appointment of a Small Business Appeals Champion.
New laws in 2015 placed responsibility on regulators to have regard for promoting economic growth, the so-called ‘growth duty’. BASC has called for greater clarification of this responsibility as it applies to agencies which could affect shooting and also for more clarity on the meaning of ‘operational decisions’.
Richard Ali, chief executive of BASC, said: “Shooting is worth £2 billion a year to the UK economy and supports the equivalent of 74,000 full-time jobs.
“As the UK’s largest shooting organisation, we continually work to ensure policy decisions are based on evidence and follow the principles of better regulation.
“Growth duty should apply for any operational decision-making processes made by government departments and agencies and for any decision-making made by staff that sit on third-party bodies which set standards or guidance.
“In our consultation response, we recommended growth duty guidance be made clearer to reflect this.”
ENDS
Note to Editors: Section 108 of the Deregulation Act 2015 establishes that any person exercising a regulatory function must have regard to the desirability of promoting economic growth (the “growth duty”). In performing this duty, they must, in particular, consider the importance for the promotion of economic growth of exercising the regulatory function in a way which ensures that regulatory action is taken only when it is needed, and any action taken is proportionate.
For further information, please contact BASC’s press office on 01244 573007 or email press@0ld.basc.org.uk