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22 September 2009
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has made good progress putting
better regulation principles into practice according to a new report from the
Better Regulation Executive published today.
The report, part of a series of reviews of national regulators, examined how
the GLA matched up to the principles of effective regulation set out by Philip
Hampton in 2005. The GLA regulates businesses that provide workers to farming,
the food industry and related sectors which employ up to 450,000 workers or
around ten per cent of the UK employment agency sector. The report found that
the GLA:
has had an impressive impact in improving the working conditions for some
vulnerable workers;is a learning organisation that is open and responsive to
external challenge; andhas been effective in building consensus on the best
regulatory solutions amongst a diverse set of stakeholders.
Despite making real progress in implementing better regulation principles
into its work, the report also identified some issues the GLA needed to address
to improve its performance further, including working with a wider range of
partners to improve its intelligence gathering. The GLA had built strong
relationships with HMRC and the Police but could explore other potential sources
of information from the agricultural sector. The GLA could also benefit by
clarifying its decision making process in licensing cases, to help stakeholders
understand how better to comply and avoid prosecution.
Notes
The Better Regulation Executive’s full report on the Gangmasters Licensing
Authority can be found at www.bis.gov.uk/ The Gangmasters Licensing Authority
was created in April 2005 under the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 with its
core remit to regulate those who provide labour into farming and the food
industry.The review team was drawn from the Better Regulation Executive within
the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and from government and the
regulatory sector, including the NAO, Consumer Focus and Animal Health.The
Hampton Implementation Review process, that will examine a total of 31 national
regulators, follow two independent reports by Sir Philip Hampton and Professor
Richard Macrory on making inspection and enforcement of regulation more
effective. The Hampton Review in 2005 - led by Sir Philip Hampton - recommended
an end to the one size fits all approach to regulation and that regulators
should take a risk-based approach to enforcement and information gathering.
Among its findings were that regulators should carry out inspections only when
needed and avoid unnecessary form-filling and duplication of effort or
information. In 2006 Professor Richard Macrory's review of penalties for failure
to comply with regulatory obligations recommended that regulators should focus
on outcomes, rather than action. He recommended that sanctions should be aimed
at changing the behaviour of non-compliant businesses and eliminating any
financial gain from non-compliance. Examples of how individuals and businesses
are benefiting from changes to regulation can be found on
www.betterregulation.gov.uk. The site also invites suggestions for what else can
be done to reduce red tape.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is building a
dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the conditions for business
success; promoting innovation, enterprise and science; and giving everyone the
skills and opportunities to succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class
universities and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future
Contacts:
Clare Keen
Phone: 020 7215 5971
Clare.Keen@bis.gsi.gov.uk
About the Author
© Crown Copyright. Material taken from the Department for
Business, Innovation & Skills. Reproduced under the terms and conditions of the
Click-Use Licence.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2009-09-22 14:49:37 in Employee Articles
