An independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape recommends allowing regulators to issue fines for minor waste offences without going through the Court system.
The review by former Labour adviser Dan Corry found that the current environmental regulation system is “outdated, inconsistent, and highly complex”.
The review concludes that a “bonfire” of regulations is not the solution. Instead it makes 29 recommendations for streamlining regulation, all of which the government says it is actively considering.
Environment Secretary, Steve Reed commented: “Nature and the economy have both been in decline for too long. That changes today.
“As part of the Plan for Change, I am rewiring Defra and its arms-length bodies to boost economic growth and unleash an era of building while also supporting nature to recover.”
This review clearly shows that simply scrapping regulations isn’t the answer – instead, we need modern, streamlined regulation that is easier for everyone to use.
The review recommends that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) review the entire approach to enforcement and sanctions for environmental regulation to bring as much consistency as possible in the approaches taken for different offences.
In the waste sector, the review says Defra should consider allowing regulators to issue speedy fines for minor offences without going through the Court system. It also recommends considering tougher penalties for deliberate non-compliance and persistent offenders.
Dan Corry, an economist and former charity leader who led the review, commented: “Our current system for environmental regulation lets down both nature and growth; we must focus on good outcomes and nature enhancement, not on rigidly preserving everything at any cost.
“This review clearly shows that simply scrapping regulations isn’t the answer – instead, we need modern, streamlined regulation that is easier for everyone to use.”
The UK Government has also launched a rapid review to deliver on legally binding environmental targets.
