Skip to main content

Search results

Regulation

Regulation exists to protect people, businesses, the environment and/or economic growth, stability and market operations. When proportionate, targeted, consistent, transparent and accountable, regulation delivers important benefits. However, regulation also creates costs for organisations and, if overused, inappropriately designed or poorly implemented, it can stifle competitiveness and growth.

Government has therefore rightly decided that rule-based approaches should be a last resort - used when alternatives such as market-based structures, self-regulation and other enforcement practices aren't enough. Departments have also been told to limit the cost of regulation to organisations.

Although regulation is only used when necessary, it is an important way of ensuring that public services work as desired, especially when more are being delivered locally. And where there is regulation, government needs to balance the protection of customers against prices, costs and organisational efficiencies.

Key NAO publications:

Showing 1 - 10 of 23 results. Order by:
Relevance Most recent Alphabetical
National Audit Office logo

Market Analytic Toolkit: for assessing public service markets

This toolkit is designed to guide those overseeing public service markets or assessing the effectiveness of these markets in terms of value for money and user outcomes. It helps government address a set of new challenges around its use of markets to deliver public services, including oversight, consumer protection, regulation and helping to achieve effective competition and innovative delivery.

Sector(s):

Performance Improvement area(s): ,

Published:
22 Nov 2016
Calculator and spreadsheet

Performance measurement by regulators

This good practice guide aids improvement in performance measurement and reporting by regulators and other organisations seeking to deliver outcomes through third parties. It has been developed in collaboration with regulators and includes the NAO’s experience from working with them and examples of regulators’ good practice. It’s complemented by ‘Performance measurement: Good practice criteria and maturity model’.

Sector(s):

Performance Improvement area(s): ,

Department(s): , , , ,

Published:
4 Nov 2016
Someone filling up a glass with water

The economic regulation of the water sector

Since privatisation, Ofwat and Defra have overseen major improvements in water quality and service quality. Customers have seen a marked rise in bills but not the benefits of companies’ unexpected financial gains.

Sector(s):

Performance Improvement area(s): , , ,

Department(s):

Published:
14 Oct 2015
NAO logo

Financial services: regulation, redress and advice overview 2014

This guide is designed to provide a quick and accessible overview of the financial services regulation, redress and advice bodies, using our published work. It covers:
• The responsibilities 5 financial services regulation, redress and advice bodies and how they spend their money
• Interaction and cooperation between the 5 bodies
• Our recent findings and future challenges for the 5 bodies
• Case studies on the impact of payment protection insurance mis-selling on the Financial Ombudsman Service and the financial crisis on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme

Sector(s):

Performance Improvement area(s): ,

Department(s):

Published:
27 Feb 2015