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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:

A Short Guide to Regulation (Aug 2015)
Using alternatives to regulation to achieve policy objectives (Jun 2014)
Business Perceptions Survey 2014 (May 2014)

Fracking for shale gas in England

This report sets out the facts about the government’s support of shale gas development in England.

Sector(s): Energy and environment

Performance Improvement area(s): Environmental sustainability, Regulation

Department(s): Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Published:
23 Oct 2019

Ensuring food safety and standards

This report examines the effectiveness of regulations to ensure that food is safe and is what it says it is.

Sector(s): Food and farming, Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Regulation

Department(s): Food Standards Agency

Published:
12 Jun 2019

Regulating to protect consumers: Utilities, communications and financial services markets

This report assesses how well Ofwat, Ofgem, Ofcom and the FCA measure and report their performance in protecting consumer interests.

Sector(s): Energy and environment, Financial services, Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Performance measurement, Regulation, User choice and consumer protection

Published:
20 Mar 2019

A Short guide to Regulation

The NAO is publishing a suite of short guides for the new Parliament, one for each government department and a selection of cross-government issues, to assist House of Commons select committees and members of Parliament.

Sector(s): Parliament, Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Regulation

Published:
27 Sep 2017

Vulnerable consumers in regulated industries

Regulators and government need to work together better to ensure that vulnerable consumers get the support they need.

Sector(s): Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Customer management, Regulation, User choice and consumer protection

Department(s): Ofgem, Ofqual, Ofsted

Published:
31 Mar 2017

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): Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Regulation, User choice and consumer protection

Published:
22 Nov 2016

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): Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Performance measurement, Regulation

Department(s): Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Food Standards Agency, Ofgem, Ofqual, Ofsted

Published:
4 Nov 2016

The Business Impact Target: cutting the cost of regulation

The approach to reducing the cost of regulation is set up to ensure that government can hit a £10bn target but misses the point by not truly reducing costs on businesses.

Sector(s): Business and enterprise, Government, efficiency and transparency

Performance Improvement area(s): Economic growth, Regulation

Department(s): Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Published:
29 Jun 2016

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): Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Asset sales and privatisation, Regulation, Transforming public services, User choice and consumer protection

Department(s): Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Published:
14 Oct 2015

A Short Guide to Regulation

The NAO is publishing a suite of short guides relating to each government department and some cross-government issues, to assist House of Commons Select Committees.

Sector(s): Parliament, Regulation, consumers and competition

Performance Improvement area(s): Regulation

Published:
3 Aug 2015