![[ image: width=150]](/olmedia/520000/images/_521270_redtape150.jpg)
Ministers have announced a Cabinet-level watchdog to oversee regulation across all its departments, with the aim of making sure it does not impede entrepreneurship.
The ministerial panel will be headed by the Cabinet Office Minister, Mo Mowlam, and promises to "call ministers to account for their regulatory performance".
Other members of the panel will include the Trade and Industry Secretary, Stephen Byers, and Lord Haskins, chairman of the government's Better Regulation Task Force and also chairman of Northern Foods.
The chief executive of the newly created Small Business Service, who has yet to be named, will also be on the panel.
Announcing details of the scheme at Dudley in the West Midlands, Dr Mowlam said: "What we are launching today is a whole new government approach, to cut unnecessary burdens of red tape, administration and form-filling that can make life hell for small businesses and for many in the public sector."
She said each government department would be expected to appoint a minister with special responsibility for reforming regulations within their department.
Dr Mowlam announced that a team had also been set up to investigate the burden imposed on local government by Westminster regulations.
"Too late"
Mr Byers said the government had begun the process of cutting red tape for small businesses.
In the future, he said, the government would make sure it imposed only regulations which were genuinely necessary, and it would also look back at existing rules to see whether they too were necessary and if they could be simplified.
The Federation of Small Businesses said the announcement was "a positive step, but a step too late", because so many regulations were already bearing down on small businesses.
A spokesman cited the Working Families Tax Credit, minimum wage and employment relations regulations as all adding to small business pressures.
He said: "The average small business owner has increased the amount of time he spends filling in forms by 20%."
A survey by the Confederation of British Industry published in September found that 85% of companies felt the burden of red tape had increased over the past year.
Also, the Conservatives have made much of their commitment to freeing business from bureaucratic burdens, saying Labour has imposed regulations costing billions of pounds since coming to power.
Red tape burdens industry
(12 Sep 99 | The Economy)
Red tape stunting small firms
(19 Jul 99 | The Economy)
The cost of red tape
(12 Jul 99 | The Company File)
Department of Trade and Industry
Cabinet Office
Federation of Small Businesses
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Inquiry into energy provider loyalty
Brown considers IMF job
Chinese imports boost US trade gap
No longer Liffe as we know it
The growing threat of internet fraud
House passes US budget
Online share dealing triples
Rate fears as sales soar
Brown's bulging war-chest
Oil reaches nine-year high
UK unemployment falls again
Trade talks deadlocked
US inflation still subdued
Insolvent firms to get breathing space
Bank considered bigger rate rise
UK pay rising 'too fast'
Utilities face tough regulation
CBI's new chief named
US stocks hit highs after rate rise
US Fed raises rates
UK inflation creeps up
Row over the national shopping basket
Military airspace to be cut
TUC warns against following US
World growth accelerates
Union merger put in doubt
Japan's tentative economic recovery
EU fraud costs millions
CBI choice 'could wreck industrial relations'
WTO hails China deal
US business eyes Chinese market
Red tape task force
Websites and widgets
Guru predicts web surge
Malaysia's economy: The Sinatra Principle
Shell secures Iranian oil deal
Irish boom draws the Welsh
China deal to boost economy
US dream scenario continues
Japan's billion dollar spending spree