Government bins red tape for small businesses

Small businesses and start-ups will be exempt from new domestic regulation for three years, it was announced today.

A moratorium on new domestic regulation will be accompanied by a public audit of existing rules and regulations, and the repeal of the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17 year olds for all businesses, which was due to be introduced on 6 April 2011.

Sunset clauses will mean that new regulations are reviewed after five years to see if they are effective, if they are still necessary, and whether the costs to business can be reduced. Ministers said that the changes would allow entrepreneurs to concentrate on growing their businesses rather than government changes.

Chairman of the Better Regulation Executive Sir Don Curry said;

"For some time now, I have been pressing Government to recognise the burden regulation places on our small and micro-businesses. So, I am delighted that this exemption has been introduced. I would urge Government to continue to look at measures such as this to continue to help economic growth."