Primary Authority User Group
Following the Government's announcement on the extension and expansion of Primary Authority, LBRO intends to establish a Primary Authority User Group, consisting of representatives from Primary Authority businesses and local authorities.
This will be the first permanent and ‘product specific' group of mixed membership set up by LBRO. Its main goal is to draw upon the experience and insight of those already taking part in the scheme. This will support its future development, for the benefit of the whole regulatory system.
It is envisaged that this group will meet approximately four times a year and will be chaired and facilitated by LBRO. London and Birmingham are likely to be the preferred locations for meetings. Membership of the group will reflect the profile of existing Primary Authority partnerships and will reviewed at two yearly intervals.
Primary Authority has now been operating for two and a half years. There are 421 businesses participating, being supported by more than 70 local authorities.
Partnerships are realising the benefits of the scheme as it currently stands and some have already engaged with LBRO on new ways of working.
On 1 November 2011 the Business Minister Mark Prisk highlighted the Primary Authority scheme as an example of good practice involving local regulators protecting the public and supporting growth.
Since then, the Government has outlined its intentions following its two part Transforming Regulatory Enforcement consultation involving major business organisations, consumer groups, professional bodies and a broad cross-section of regulators.
Primary Authority is set to be expanded to enable more, smaller businesses to benefit, and extended to cover more areas of regulation.
There will be changes in three areas:
- strengthening inspection plans to deliver earned recognition for business
- allowing more organisations to participate, benefiting small business
- including knives and gambling within the scope of Primary Authority
The deadline for applications for membership of the Primary Authority User Group was 31 January 2012.