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Direction sent to all Secretaries of State to end comfort
blanket of unnecessary consultations and get on with the job.
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First Secretary tells colleagues Governments are elected to
lead with promise of a new vision for meaningful public
participation in the Autumn
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Decisions on major infrastructure projects that deliver jobs,
lower bills and regenerate communities to be made faster
The government will strip away needless 'box-ticking'
consultations as part of a drive to accelerate decision-making
and deliver real change at pace.
On Monday, the First Secretary of State, Chancellor and Attorney
General wrote to departments to tell Ministers to help them to be
bold and ambitious, the government will pare back
counterproductive administrative burdens and implement further
robust changes to support delivery.
For too long, the system has outsourced accountability to
external stakeholders through consultations, arm's-length bodies,
or regulators, costing the public years of progress. A bespoke AI
tool identified around 7,000 consultation duties in the statute
book.
For example, despite overwhelmingly positive responses, vital
public health measures such as the introduction of folic acid to
flour were delayed for seven years as the government became
trapped in duplicate consultations. Similarly, between 2019 and
2023, the Government asked the public three times for views on
introducing legislation to microchip cats, including gathering
views on the legal definition of a cat.
These examples are symptomatic of a culture that has prioritised
process over outcomes. The government is committed to doing
things differently: making clear decisions, standing by them, and
working with Parliament and local leaders to execute them.
First Secretary of State, said:
"To deliver change at the pace and scale the public expects, my
department is stripping out needless bureaucracy.
"If we can't microchip cats without getting tied up in red tape,
it should come as no surprise the public is losing faith that
governments can get things done.
"Governments are elected to lead not hide behind process. We are
taking steps today to speed up decision-making and deliver the
change our country needs."
Already, an expert central team has supported departments to
engage better, intercepting new consultation duties before they
get added to Bills, ensuring departments can deliver change
without adding further burden. The team will continue its work,
supporting departments to consult with the public in a way that
works.
Clearing this backlog paves the way for better democratic
engagement as endless written surveys rarely capture the true
views of communities or effectively shape policy.
In the Autumn, the government will set out its vision for public
participation and issue new guidance providing practical steps
for modern, meaningful engagement.
The changes announced on Monday include:
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Empowering Parliament to be able to designate and approve the
country's most important infrastructure projects giving them
significant enhanced protection from legal challenge.
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The Government also plans to introduce a fixed Challenge
Window, which will ensure points of legal challenge are
identified and addressed earlier, helping prevent delays
after consent has already been granted.
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Departments will be expected to reduce unnecessary
consultations and ensure they are only undertaken where there
is a clear reason to do so.
