The UK’s Enforcement Gap

From tackling climate change and improving children’s health, to ensuring our food and products are safe, common-sense rules contribute to a decent, prosperous society where people are protected and good businesses can thrive.

But these protections are only as good as the enforcement that underpins them. If rules and regulations are un-enforced, then they are not worth the paper they are written on.

Unchecked UK’s Enforcement Gap 2020 report finds that over the last decade, the UK’s enforcement capacity has been massively eroded. Steep budget cuts and falling staff numbers have been accompanied by long-term declines in enforcement activity across the spectrum of public life.

The report examines the losses in regulatory enforcement capacity across six areas: food, the environment, health and safety, consumer protection, employee rights and local spaces.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government will need to make many bold financial decisions. Fixing the UK’s enforcement gap must be one of them.

The UK’s Enforcement Gap 2020

From tackling climate change and improving children’s health, to ensuring our food and products are safe, common-sense rules contribute to a decent, prosperous society where people are protected and good businesses can thrive.

But these protections are only as good as the enforcement that underpins them. If rules and regulations are un-enforced, then they are not worth the paper they are written on.

Unchecked UK’s Enforcement Gap 2020 report finds that over the last decade, the UK’s enforcement capacity has been massively eroded. Steep budget cuts and falling staff numbers have been accompanied by long-term declines in enforcement activity across the spectrum of public life.

The report examines the losses in regulatory enforcement capacity across six areas: food, the environment, health and safety, consumer protection, employee rights and local spaces.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government will need to make many bold financial decisions. Fixing the UK’s enforcement gap must be one of them.