Environment Agency gets it right
On 20 March the Hampton Implementation Review was published. It is a report commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and carried out by a team supported by the Better Regulation Executive and National Audit Office.
The review assessed how well the Environment Agency meets the Hampton principles which set out a risk-based, proportionate approach to regulation.
The report highlighted areas of success, including:
• Progress in implementing the Hampton Principles such as our Operator and Pollution Risk Appraisal (OPRA) as a tool for assessing environmental risk,
• Reductions in the burden of regulations on business
• Fair and proportionate use of prosecutions
• Work to improve the quality of our written advice forms and publications.
The report also highlighted areas where we are already working on further improvement or will soon begin work. These include:
• Communicating more strongly the link between day-to-day regulatory activities and the achievement of environmental outcomes
• Working with Defra and HM Treasury to make the charging regime more flexible so that more illegal activities can be tackled
• Continuing our work to develop a broader approach to advice and guidance and improvements to our website.
The Environment Agency Board welcomed the findings of the review of the UK's largest regulators and its recognition of the Environment Agency’s role in modernising its approach to regulation.
Environment Agency Chairman Sir John Harman said: ‘The Environment Agency will take forward those recommendations that we have endorsed and address any areas that need improvement. The report has provided some useful insights and support for our future programme of work and for further changes we would like to see government and the EU deliver. This includes more modern, joined up legislation and changes in the way we can charge, in order to fund our work against criminal activity.’
The full report can be downloaded from:
