Government calls for feedback on hospitality regulations

Due to close on 2nd June, the government’s ‘Red Tape Challenge’ for the hospitality sector aims to identify which regulations are doing more damage than good to the industry.

Businesses are invited to provide feedback on the Red Tape Challenge website​ in order to help reduce the burden of regulation and reverse the damage that overregulation has done to business and the economy.

“To do that, we need your help,” the government told hospitality operators. “You have to deal with these rules day-in, day-out. This website is for you to tell us which regulations are working and which are not; what should be scrapped, what should be saved and what should be simplified.”

‘Burdensome’ regulations to go ​

The website lists regulations impacting the hospitality sector, including requirements for food and drink safety, labelling and composition, as well as licensing rules, alcohol sales, hotel regulations and general employment rules.

“The default presumption will be that burdensome regulations will go,” explains the site. “If ministers want to keep them, they have to make a very good case for them to stay.

However, the government also highlights that the presence of a particular regulation or law on the website does not indicate an intention to abolish it. “The purpose of this exercise is to open government up to the public,” it explains.

Once comments are closed, ministers will have three months to study the comments and decide which regulations to keep and why.

Action​

Hospitality trade groups are urging their members to respond to the Red Tape Challenge, although some are cautioning that the government’s good intentions need to be followed up with action.

“The scale and cost of regulation for pubs is huge, and the Government has given a very short time to respond. The greater the number of responses, the better,” said Brigid Simmonds of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

“Some measures, like Alcohol Disorder Zones, should clearly be put out of their misery, and others, like smoke free signs, no longer serve any useful purpose. We also need to bear in mind that new measures, such as the proposed Late Night Levy, are going to add further to the burden of regulation.

“While the Government makes the right noises when it comes to the role of business in helping the economy to recover and create jobs, we need this backed up with action.”