New plans to capitalise on the freedoms from Brexit so that our
rules and regulations best serve the UK national interest have
been announced today by Minister of State at the Cabinet Office,
.
Thousands of individual EU regulations automatically kept
on the statute book after Brexit - known as Retained EU Law –
will be scrutinised by the Government to ensure they are helping
the UK to thrive as a modern, dynamic, independent country and
foster innovation across the British economy.
The review will aim to remove the ‘special status’ that EU
retained law still enjoys in our legal framework and will
determine how best to ensure that UK courts can no longer give
undue precedence to EU-derived laws in future. This will be done
while providing businesses and citizens with legal certainty and
will continue the process of restoring the UK Parliament to its
proper constitutional position.
Additionally, the Government is setting out a package of
individual regulatory reforms to laws inherited while a member of
the EU, building on recommendations recently submitted to
Government by the Taskforce for Regulatory Reform, Innovation and
Growth.
In the coming weeks, Secretaries of State across Whitehall
will set out bold strategies and proposals for keeping the UK at
the forefront of innovation and technology, including on:
- Artificial Intelligence to supercharge its place in the UK
economy, to grow investment, support research and development,
and boost the nation’s skills – setting the standards for other
countries to follow.
- Transport to unleash the UK’s potential as a world leader in
future technologies like autonomous maritime vessels,
self-driving cars and drones by modernising outdated EU vehicle
standards.
-
Farming to reform the regulations around gene-edited
organisms, which will enable more sustainable and efficient
farming and help produce healthier and more nutritious
food.
This follows the proposed reforms to create a pro-growth,
trusted data rights regime, which is more proportionate and less
burdensome than the EU’s GDPR rules.
The Government also plans to establish a new Commission
through which the public will be able to identify additional
opportunities for cutting or reforming red tape and bureaucracy.
Any individual will be able to submit proposals. The Commission
will then consider these ideas and make recommendations for
change to the Government - but only if they go in the direction
of reducing or eliminating regulation.
Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, , said:
“From rules on data storage to the ability of
businesses to develop new green technologies, overbearing
regulations were often conceived and agreed in Brussels with
little consideration of the UK national interest.
“We now have the opportunity to do things differently
and ensure that Brexit freedoms are used to help businesses and
citizens get on and succeed.
“Today’s announcement is just the beginning. The
Government will go further and faster to create a competitive,
high-standards regulatory environment which supports innovation
and growth across the UK as we build back better from the
pandemic”
Further reforms announced today include:
Modernising our economy:
- Introducing digital driving licenses, test certificates and
MOT processes to streamline the process for motorists.
- Creating digital certificates for millions of shareholdings
to replace their paper counterparts, making life easier for
people who own and trade shares.
-
Legislating to put electronic trade documents on the same
legal footing as paper documents, removing the need for
wasteful paperwork and needless bureaucracy.
Supporting research and
development:
- Overhauling our clinical trial frameworks to improve trial
set up and patient recruitment, giving a major boost to the UK’s
world-class R&D sector and getting patients access to new
lifesaving medicines more quickly.
-
Reforming medical devices regulations to foster the
development of new and emerging devices, harnessing cutting
edge technology, software and AI. This will ensure access to
the world’s most innovative technologies for NHS patients while
maintaining quality and safety.
Reducing bureaucratic interference:
-
Permitting the voluntary printing of the Crown Stamp on
pint glasses and reviewing the EU ban on markings and sales in
imperial units and legislating in due course, none of which
were possible within the EU.
Today’s announcement follows the government’s ongoing
consultation into reforming the UK’s regulatory framework, which
will respond to other recommendations from the
Taskforce for Regulatory Reform, Innovation and
Growth.
A full list of individual regulatory reforms announced can
be found here Brexit
opportunities: regulatory reforms - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk)
