The following letter was published in The Times (paywall) on Tuesday 20th August:

Sir,

Our organisations represent diverse interests and priorities, but we are united in our concern about the growing pressure on local and national enforcement bodies, designed to keep us safe.

Never has it been more important to invest in our collective safeguards, yet analysis from the Unchecked.uk campaign shows the extent of the decline in the budgets and staff of enforcement agencies overseeing vital areas of public policy. The country is asking local authorities and key regulators, including the Food Standards Agency, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and others, to do their work with on average 50 per cent less funding than ten years ago.

The steep reduction in inspections and monitoring of regulated business in recent years risks undermining the achievement of public policy objectives, and the shift towards industry self-reporting leaves the regulatory system vulnerable to abuse.

If enforcement teams are to continue their invaluable work to protect UK citizens, they must be properly equipped.

Emma Rose, Unchecked.uk

Undersigned by the following organisations:

Suzi Shingler, Coordinator, Alliance to Save our Antibiotics

Paul Bray, Coordinator, Birders Against Wildlife Crime

Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

Peter Stevenson, Chief Policy Advisor, Compassion in World Farming

Kierra Box, Brexit Lead, Friends of the Earth

Shaun Spiers, Executive Director, Green Alliance

Hilda Palmer, Coordinator, Hazards UK

Martin Baxter, Chief Policy Advisor, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

Jemima Hartshorn, Founder, Mums for Lungs

Arnold Pindar, Chairman, National Consumer Federation

David Powell, Head of Environment & Green Transition, New Economics Foundation

Miles King, Chief Executive, People Need Nature

Errol Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Sarah Whitebread, Head of External Affairs, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Ashton Collins, Director, Save Face

Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive, Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming

Stuart Singleton-White, Head of Campaigns, The Angling Trust

David Lawrence, Senior Political Advisor, Trade Justice Movement

Ashley Smith, Director, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution

Kate Metcalf, Co-director, Women’s Environmental Network

The following letter was published in The Times (paywall) on Tuesday 20th August:

Sir,

Our organisations represent diverse interests and priorities, but we are united in our concern about the growing pressure on local and national enforcement bodies, designed to keep us safe.

Never has it been more important to invest in our collective safeguards, yet analysis from the Unchecked.uk campaign shows the extent of the decline in the budgets and staff of enforcement agencies overseeing vital areas of public policy. The country is asking local authorities and key regulators, including the Food Standards Agency, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and others, to do their work with on average 50 per cent less funding than ten years ago.

The steep reduction in inspections and monitoring of regulated business in recent years risks undermining the achievement of public policy objectives, and the shift towards industry self-reporting leaves the regulatory system vulnerable to abuse.

If enforcement teams are to continue their invaluable work to protect UK citizens, they must be properly equipped.

Emma Rose, Unchecked.uk

Undersigned by the following organisations:

Suzi Shingler, Coordinator, Alliance to Save our Antibiotics

Paul Bray, Coordinator, Birders Against Wildlife Crime

Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

Peter Stevenson, Chief Policy Advisor, Compassion in World Farming

Kierra Box, Brexit Lead, Friends of the Earth

Shaun Spiers, Executive Director, Green Alliance

Hilda Palmer, Coordinator, Hazards UK

Martin Baxter, Chief Policy Advisor, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

Jemima Hartshorn, Founder, Mums for Lungs

Arnold Pindar, Chairman, National Consumer Federation

David Powell, Head of Environment & Green Transition, New Economics Foundation

Miles King, Chief Executive, People Need Nature

Errol Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Sarah Whitebread, Head of External Affairs, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Ashton Collins, Director, Save Face

Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive, Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming

Stuart Singleton-White, Head of Campaigns, The Angling Trust

David Lawrence, Senior Political Advisor, Trade Justice Movement

Ashley Smith, Director, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution

Kate Metcalf, Co-director, Women’s Environmental Network