1. A new era for regulation?
Sharon Darcy, Board Member

2. 01/07/2019

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Sharon Darcy
01/07/2019