US National Health Service 'burrowed underfoot by bureaucracy' as 50 steps required to release patients

Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Sedwill Credit: PA Archive

He said Britain needs «smarter regulation, not sweeping deregulation» «, requiring a profound «cultural change in how we regulate business and public services», which had to happen «at the heart of the government».

Only then could the country «take advantage of the huge opportunity provided by the repatriation of our regulatory sovereignty» after Brexit, he added. The Policy Exchange report cites 26 examples of bureaucratic red tape that are accused of «contributing to deep malaise.»

For example, it states that the UK's planning system requires people to obtain permission to build a primary dwelling on their land. It says this is leading to «extremely low self-build rates in the UK», where home builders account for around 7% of new housing stock compared to 55% in Germany.

If self-build rates were increased to 15% of the Netherlands — «a country with a population density comparable to the UK» — it could provide up to 40,000 new homes.

Another example concerns the requirement for truck drivers to pass training course every time they renew their license for heavy trucks, which the report blames for causing a shortage of 50,000 drivers.

Instead, it recommends that the government align itself with other European countries that only require truck drivers to undergo a medical and eye test to renew their license.

The report also claims that the misconduct hearing rule set police force limits the ability of police chiefs to quickly dismiss crooks who have committed gross misconduct. This is because such commissions must include a «legally qualified chairman» while police officers are also entitled to legal representation by default.

The report recommends a return to the previous system, in which assistant chiefs of police presided over misconduct hearings, and states that police officers should only be represented by the Police Federation in the first place. It calls on every regulator to put in place mechanisms to allow people to provide feedback on whether the current rules are up to the mark and for a «special executive position at the board level»; will be created for all oversight bodies «responsible for developing smarter regulation.»

Bim Afolami, a former minister who last week created a new Regulatory Reform Group composed of Conservative MPs, said: «The rules — often introduced with the best of intentions — entail significant costs for individuals, businesses and society as a whole.

He added: “After Brexit, we need to fundamentally rethink our approach to our regulatory regime and a new focus on ensuring the best possible outcome for the British public.”