Richard WheelerPolitical reporter
EPA/Shutterstock
The government said it hopes to speed up decision making by stripping away “outdated regulations and overlapping consultations” as part of cuts to red tape.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed frustration that a “whole bunch of regulations, consultations and arm’s-length bodies” mean that action “from pulling the lever to delivery is longer than I think it ought to be”.
The Cabinet Office has said changes to clear up processes in Whitehall will be introduced to ensure improvements can be made in communities across the country.
The Conservatives said it was “deeply ironic” the government wants to take action when it is “stuck in consultation paralysis”.
A series of consultations and taskforces have been established since Labour came into government in 2024, including on whether to introduce a social media ban for under-16s following calls for action in Parliament.
Fire safety guidance, a minimum learning period for learner drivers and a ban on new leasehold flats are also among the issues subject to consultation that are listed on the government website.
The Cabinet Office said wide-ranging or complex policies will still be subject to consultation, but warned they are increasingly used for routine decisions such as how a department produces its annual report.
Changes to reporting and consultation duties involve a higher bar for including them in legislation and using artificial intelligence to root out “disproportionate” ones.
Equalities impact assessments must also help improve policy and outcomes, the department said, while changes will be made to environmental assessments of projects.
Other reforms include streamlining the process for collective Cabinet agreement of government policy, which are said to involve “onerous” exchanges of letters between departments.
Those tasked with leading the change include Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo, the UK’s top civil servant, Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and Attorney General Lord Hermer.
Thomas-Symonds said: “For too long, the levers of power in Whitehall have been trapped under layers of outdated regulations and overlapping consultations that prioritise process over progress.
“We are stripping away these layers to empower brilliant public servants to deliver change for working people, replacing an outsourcing of responsibility with accountability and decisive action.”
Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: “It is deeply ironic that this Labour government, stuck in consultation paralysis, now claims it wants to clamp down on consultation culture.
“This is a government that has become increasingly risk-averse, paralysed by Lord Hermer’s legal caution and tied up in process. This is a government at war with itself.”
