Monday, May 30

Yes Minister more is better !


''The unnecessary bureaucracy is a burden, both on business and the public sector'' A true statement taken from a job advert placed by the Cabinet Office in the Financial Times last week.

The large amount of 'red tape' and regulation that is imposed upon the process of businesses is well known especially to those who do not work in the public sector (or any of the numerous organisations that are in reality owned or over influenced by government business agencies whose true priority is to tame dissident groups).

In the sprit of Jonathan Lynn's and Anthony Jay's Ministry of Administrative Affairs (Yes Minister 1981-2) the Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall has announced that ''the government is committed to a major reform programme - one of the most ambitious and far-reaching in the world.''

How does HMG plans to cut through these extraneous layers of red tape and bureaucracy ? Well in what could be the script for a remake of the hilariously funny comedy classic 'Yes Minister' civil servants have issued details of two new government bodies that are to be set up immediately.

'A Better Regulation Executive' to work at the centre of government in the Cabinet Office and 'A Better Regulation Commission' to take on the existing advisory and challenge the role played by the 'Better Regulation Task Force', which will provide ''external scrutiny of departmental progress''.

With so much better bureaucratic planning, two new better government organisations and their no doubt better quality systems to control and co-ordinate the growth in the public sector's self deluding business support industry is clearly guaranteed, whilst actually removing the acknowledged barriers to business growth will remain ''under progress''.

Explaining that better regulation is less regulation and most regulation comes from the EU will be like shouting ''the Emperor has no clothes'' but with the consequence of the modern addition of a long enforced visit to the Ministry of Truth for those that state the obvious.

Comments can be forwarded to the editor c/o room 101 at the Ministry.

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