The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has urged Government to address the competence of regulators in the meat industry.
The Association highlighted that at the end of May, it will have been 10 weeks since HM Treasury (HMT) published its Action Plan, ‘New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, which sets out the next steps in its approach to regulation and regulators.
Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director at AIMS, commented: “Today, AIMS, in association with food regulatory law practitioners Roythornes Solicitors, have published our proposals for reducing regulation.
“According to HMT’s announcement, it ‘will enable a regulatory system that supports innovation and economic growth while ensuring accountability for the quality of regulations introduced’.
“That Government has at least acknowledged that damage is being caused is welcome – but recognising the problem is different from solving it. In truth, their latest document reads more like déjà vu than a blueprint for reform.”
“Unqualified regulators, unclear guidance, and a tick-box culture conspire to stifle innovation, hinder competitiveness, and increase operating costs.”
Hannah Leese, Roythornes Solicitors
Hannah Leese, a partner in the litigation team at Roythornes Solicitors, noted: “The Government’s paper acknowledges the challenges saying: ‘When regulation is designed and implemented well, it can be an essential tool to promote growth and investment. When used effectively, regulation can also provide a mechanism to address economic, societal, and environmental risks and deliver positive outcomes that we want to see in our communities’, and includes a list of key regulator pledges, including four from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
“Among the four are: ‘The FSA will prioritise its work on trade to conduct six inward audits in 2025 in order to facilitate trade in food and drink’, but to date the industry has heard nothing as to this pledge’s progress, and for that matter very little on the other three.”
Leese continued: “Of course, this is not news to us. In the Regulatory Team, we see first-hand the cost of incompetent, inconsistent, and overzealous enforcement. Unqualified regulators, unclear guidance, and a tick-box culture conspire to stifle innovation, hinder competitiveness, and increase operating costs – all under the false banner of public protection.”
Aldiss concluded: “Unless the Government addresses the quality of regulation and the competence of regulators – particularly the FSA – this latest HMT paper will go the way of all the others: filed under ‘missed opportunities’.”
The Food Standards Agency and the Cabinet Office have been contacted for comment.
