Prime Minister David Cameron’s pledge to scrap or amend thousands of rules affecting business has been welcomed by Business West, the organisation behind the Initiative in Swindon & Wiltshire.
In a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Mr Cameron said more than 3,000 rules would be dropped or changed, saving businesses more than £850m a year. 
Among the changes would be ways of helping housebuilders and making it easier and cheaper for businesses to meet environmental obligations.
Director of the Initiative in Swindon & Wiltshire, Ian Larrard, said the removal of these burdens was a step in the right direction. But he said further progress was necessary to cut needless red tape to allow businesses the freedom to grow.
“Good progress has been made in removing domestic regulations, with this removal of domestic red tape and the Prime Minister leading a charge to reduce European bureaucracy,” he said.
“However, reducing regulation is as much about quality as it is about quantity. Removing laws from the statute book will only have an effect if companies on the ground feel that the burden of needless regulation is lifting.
“The Government should not only be concerned about existing regulation, but also with new laws coming in. Britain’s deregulation drive must also not be derailed by costly new laws affecting firms. At present, both tax changes and EU regulations are excluded from the Government’s ‘one-in, two-out’ rule for new regulations.
“This loophole blunts the impact of the policy. All new regulations, from whatever source, should be scrutinised and their burden minimised as part of this system.”
Mr Cameron’s red tape cull was also welcomed by Colin Bates, partner and head of accountants PwC’s private business team in the West of England.
He said: “Entrepreneurs are typically the economy’s growth engine and cutting red tape helps give them the confidence to innovate.
“The challenging economic conditions of recent years have seen businesses of all sizes prioritising cost cutting and efficiency. This year, though, we’re seeing a change of mindset as Britain’s bosses shift their focus to new products and services.
“With evermore competition from overseas, and technology changing many business models forever, innovation is an economic necessity. Reducing redundant rules gives entrepreneurs the flexibility they need to create jobs and growth.”
