Government appoints ‘Retail Champion’
The Government has appointed a ‘Retail Champion’ to help tackle red tape on the high street.
Gerry Murphy, chief executive of the Kingfisher Group, will head a new cross-agency pilot that will examine the burden of regulation on the retail sector – a move welcomed by the British Retail Consortium.
Among the measures he will be looking at are agreeing common standards across local authorities, investigating business information and advice requirements, avoiding multiple visits by different agencies to retailers, and establishing mechanisms to resolve conflicting requirements between agencies.
Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: “I am delighted that Gerry Murphy has agreed to help us with this pilot to drive forward changes that will reduce the burden of red tape for retailers.”
Gerry Murphy added: “The retail sector is a dynamic part of the UK economy, but it also suffers from a heavy regulatory burden. This new initiative aims to improve the efficiency of the administrative processes whilst maintaining all elements of consumer protection. I look forward to working with all the partners in this important project.”
The move could prove welcome relief for retailers hit by poor retail sales figures published this morning.
A spokesman for the British Retail Consortium told politics.co.uk: “Regulation and enforcement are significant costs to retail. The BRC has actively promoted the cause of reform and the Hampton Review has adopted many of the themes for which we have campaigned. We welcome the appointment of Gerry Murphy as Retail Champion to try to further ensure that rhetoric becomes reality and that enforcement is consistent, fair and proportionate. “
Retail sales fell by one per cent in December compared with the previous month – the largest December decline since 1981.
