Regulators Code binding councils and fire authorities comes into force

Local authorities, fire and rescue authorities and other non-economic regulators are from this week under a statutory duty to have regard to the new Regulators’ Code.

Published by the Better Regulation Delivery Office and coming into force on 6 April, the code is intended to provide “a clear, flexible and principles-based framework for how regulators should engage with those they regulate”.

According to the BRDO, the code is underpinned by the statutory principles of good regulation, which provide that regulatory activities should be carried out in a way which is transparent, accountable, proportionate and consistent and should be targeted only at cases in which action is needed.

The BRDO said the regulators affected must have regard to the code when developing standards, policies or procedures that either guide their regulatory activities with business or apply to other regulators.

In a letter sent to local authority chief executives in March, Minister for Business & Energy Michael Fallon and Local Government Ombudsman Dr Jane Martin urged councils to consider whether their existing complaints processes catered adequately for businesses and others that they regulate, and were accessible to them.

Information on the code and a summary of the regulators and regulatory functions covered can be found here.

The BRDO has also developed to tools to help regulators, such as service standards templates. More information on these materials can be found here.