A new era for regulation? Sharon Darcy, Board Member

01/07/2019

Why change? New agendas – eg carbon challenge / communications revolution Questions over effectiveness Public spending constraints Perceived regulatory creep Political agendas ‘Too much of what government does is actually done by people that no-one can vote out, by organisations that feel no pressure to answer for what happens and in a way that is relatively unaccountable’ Regulation in the Post-Bureaucratic Age, Conservative Party, October 2009 Getting and keeping the right level of regulation is important 01/07/2019

Integrated policy making Individual regulatory silos ‘Confused patients appeal for simplified regulation’ Regulatory and departmental silos Differential projections of increases in energy bills from DECC and Ofgem Ofgem probe – ‘These remedies will not fully help the vulnerable, fuel poor and financially and digitally excluded’ Vacuums in Whitehall and political ‘hot potatoes’ Need to align incentives Co-ordination Streamlined government 01/07/2019

Legitimacy and accountability Regulatory boards Incremental change The ‘big picture’, value judgements and trade offs Where is independent expertise and longer term approach needed? Government vision and objectives for the sector - what will department and what will regulator do? Better Regulation Executive / NAO must assess delivery National School of Regulation? 01/07/2019

Regulatory learning Supply side approach Markets / competition Economic regulators Quality / standards Professional Supply side approach Markets / competition Benchmarking Demand side approach Reputational regulation Outcome monitoring/reporting Behavioural economics Consumer engagement Consumer empowerment Web 2.0 Consensus building Workforce development Individual registration Sector specific Provider specific Individual specific 01/07/2019

Transparency Clarity around reasons for decisions Clarity around reasons for approach / instruments used Clarity around formal consumer engagement Empowered and engaged consumers more able to shape services themselves going forward BUT Not a substitute for regulation Needs resources itself - not a cheap option! Need to put safety nets in place up front to help vulnerable etc 01/07/2019

Sharon Darcy 0208 404 4250 07990 570725 01/07/2019