Two thirds of retail red tape to be axed
7 September 2011
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Since April, we've been encouraging you to have your say on various regulations in the Government's Red Tape Challenge and now the first results are in as plans have been announced to scrap or simplify more than 160 regulations that currently apply to retailers.
Almost 9,000 comments from the public and business on the 257 regulations under consideration have led to proposals to:
  • Consolidate more than 12 pieces of overlapping consumer rights law with a single new piece of legislation.

  • Simplify regulations that retailers said were particularly burdensome, such as age verification on some restricted goods, and licensing for low-risk products such as fly spray and toilet cleaner.

  • Abolish symbolic cases of heavy-handed intervention, such as shops needing an alcohol license to sell chocolate liqueurs.

  • Remove redundant legislation, such as the war-time Trading With The Enemy Act and its 98 associated regulations, plus rules around the safety of pencils and prams.
However, despite suggestions to the contrary, the Government has decided not to change legislation covering Sunday trading and to keep in place other rules covering areas such as hallmarking of goods.
 
It is hoped that these changes will help reduce the bureaucracy and costs small retailers face by cutting down the number of forms they have to fill in and overlapping and confusing laws they have to get to grips with.
 
Some of the rules which are being scrapped or simplified:
  • Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010. These ban sales to the public of certain types of firework and age restrict sales, including a ban on the sale of Christmas crackers to children under 16. The Government is reducing the age that Christmas crackers can be bought to 12 – the lowest age that EU regulations allow.

  • Indication of Prices (Beds) Order 1978. Rules that prohibits anyone selling a bed from indicating at what price it could be resold at are being scrapped.

  • Licensing Act 2003. The provision that requires shops selling liqueur chocolates to have an alcohol licence is also being scrapped.

  • Imitation Dummies (Safety) Regulations 1993, Bunk Beds (Entrapment Hazards) (Safety) Regulations 1987, Wheeled Child Conveyances (Safety) Regulations 1997 and Children's Clothing (Hood Cords) Regulations 1976. These exist to ensure that items don't pose a safety risk, but consumers are already protected by the General Product Safety Regulations.
You can read a summary of the proposals and a selection of comments on the Red Tape Challenge website.


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