Trading Places in Whitehall
National regulators could soon be taking a leaf out of their local counterparts' book following the launch of the Trading Places programme in Whitehall.
The programme is designed to encourage better understanding with the commercial world by getting regulators to spend time with real businesses to see how their decisions affect commercial operations.
The Environment Agency, the Food Standards Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Business innovation and Skills and the Department of Health, have all given their support and were among delegates at the Better Regulation Workshop, hosted by the Better Regulation Executive, for the launch.
Minister for Business and regulatory Reform Ian Lucas said: "At the heart of LBRO's Trading Places scheme is the goal of enhancing prosperity and protection for businesses, consumers and the general public through better local regulation. All parties involved benefit from stronger working relationships and better communication.
"By embracing the Trading Places initiative, national and local regulators are actively fostering better understanding between themselves and the businesses they regulate. By encouraging mutual trust, and a partnership approach to achieving compliance, businesses get a better service and regulators better understand the impact of what they do so they can target their resources more efficiently."
Neil Davies, Head of Better Regulation in the Environment Agency, said: "We have placed our officers into regulated businesses for a number of years with great success. Placements improve our understanding of how businesses operate and help businesses to understand and meet their environmental obligations. We encourage regulators and businesses to take part in the Trading Places initiative."
And Judith Taylor of the Better Regulation and Sustainability Team at the Food Standards Agency, said: "Trading Places offers the Food Standards Agency's busy policy officials chance to learn a lot in a very short time about a business."
Among the business groups represented was ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores.) ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: "A local shop owner has to be their own human resources manager, health and safety and compliance department in one person, as well as managing the shop and serving customers. Trading Places is a great way for regulators to see how compliance impacts in the real world."
Trading Places is run by LBRO, the public body responsible for better local regulation. Chairman Clive Grace said: "National regulators play a hugely important role in the health, welfare and prosperity of local communities. Trading Places helps inform their officers and keeps them in contact with the realities of business life in these communities."
Trading Places is open to any size of business. Available in one or two-day formats, Trading Places gives enforcement officers the opportunity to see the impact of their decisions on companies by placing them at the business-end of regulation.
Trading Places is endorsed by many business organisations including the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, British Retail Consortium, British Hardware Federation, the Direct Selling Association, National Federation of Retail Newsagents and the Forum for Private Business. For more information about Trading Places email jenny.nobes@lbro.org.uk or call www.lbro.org.uk or call 0121 226 4045.
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