What's the worst regulation?

Last Updated: 09 Jun 2010

Not all governmental regulations work the way they were intended, but what is the worst regulation you've come across? Is form-filling and bureaucracy holding back your business? Help may be at hand in the form of the Government's Coalition Programme which was released recently. And Accommodation Know How may be the perfect platform to voice your grievances.

The Coalition Programme contains two very important announcements for the tourism sector. The first was the announcement that one of the Government's business priorities was "to improve the competitiveness of the UK tourism industry, recognizing the important part it plays in our national economy".

The second important announcement was that the Government proposes to help businesses by actively reducing the level of regulatory burden. To do this, it is proposing to introduce a range of initiatives including:

• A policy whereby no new regulation is introduced without other regulation being cut by a greater amount
• Targeting inspections to high risk areas
• Imposing 'sunset clauses' on regulations
• Ending the 'gold-plating' of EU rules

However, the most interesting proposal is to give the public the opportunity to challenge the worst existing regulations so that they can be removed from the statute books.

We are therefore seeking to find the worst regulation affecting accommodation businesses. We have opened a new thread on Accommodation Know How for suggestions as to what regulation is holding back the growth of the accommodation sector the most and has no redeeming features. The best suggestions will be put forward to the new Tourism Minister, John Penrose, for his consideration.