Deregulation recommendations
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What the Government has accepted so far • In the transport industry 0-licences are to be issued on a continuous basis from 1996. Trunk and motorway signs are to be enhanced.
• Environmental deregulation is another area where hauliers soy benefit as the Environment Agency will be producing a Code of Practice that will promote "fairness, proportionality, transparency and consistency" in its dealings with industry.
With regard to taxation, taskforce measures that have been accepted by the Government include the establishment of a single point of contact for the self employed and new businesses, with the creation of a telephone hotline by the end of 1996 for any enquiries concerning PAYE, NIC, excise and customs duties and VAT. The taxation and National Insurance systems will be brought into dose alignment. Also tax and National Insurance audit visits will be merged into one, and if any follow-up visits ore to be made, these will generally be completed within Iwo months.
• Any changes to the taxation regime that ore announced in the Budget will be mirrored in the National Insurance system unless there is a clear reason to do otherwise.
• In a bid to reduce he excessive number of official forms and surveys, a new study will try and reduce the number by a quarter.
• A single national information point will be set up so that anyone needing help in obtaining official forms will find the struggle eased.
• As an overall procedure, every Department of Government will have to report annually an what it has done to reduce burdens on business. If businesses find themselves an the wrong end of enforcement action token against them, they will be able to demand a written explanation far that action. fit Many businesses need a licence just to operate in addition to the standard health and safety rules. These number some 300, all of which will be reviewed. If the review shows that they are still needed, then he Government has promised to look at ways of minimising their burden.
O There are currently 40 local business partnerships where local authorities and business get together. The Government will be encouraging the growth of this network to at least 100 by the end of 1996.
• Business people will be invited to advise all regulatory bodies undertaking activities that affect their businesses. Where no formal structure for feedback exists, action will be taken to create one.
• The Inland Revenue and the Contributions Agency will remove some of the restrictions that limit their ability to share information. The principles to be followed in doing this will be similar to those used between Inland Revenue and Customs last year 1119941. Confidentiality will be guaranteed, but the change is planned to allow both departments to fully understand a taxpayer's position while effectively combating non-compliance.