Risk and Regulation Advisory Council

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In 2008 the Risk and Regulatory Advisory Council (RRAC) was set up in response to recommendations from (& as a replacement for) the Better Regulation Commission[1].

The council is described as a 'body for common sense' which will run alongside a 'national campaign to emphasise the importance of self-reliance and a sense of adventure'. The aim?... 'It is intended to engage the public, and remind them that the Government is not responsible for every accident or piece of bad fortune that befalls its citizens. The team of seven will tackle policy areas where there are fears that the Government is in danger of overkill'[2]. In other words the Council is there to lobby for less effective regulation of corporations and to protect corporate interests.

The RRAC will report to Vicky Pryce, chief economic adviser and director general of economics at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Joint Head of the Government Economic Service. The Government News Network [3] reports that the RRAC's work 'will involve regulators, risk experts, Parliament, lobby groups, the media and the public; it will not solely focus on government but also work towards improving the quality of dialogue with the public on risk issues'.

The style of the new RRAC is reported to have moved 'away from the traditional recommendation-led reports of the BRC and its predecessors towards discursive, broadly participative workshop-based programmes, designed to explore how better, evidence-based policy-making conversations and processes could lead to improved outcomes – more effective policies, fewer unnecessary burdens and more pervasive protection of civil liberties'[4]. The RRAC claims to be a 'neutral voice' in the policy formation process.

People

In January 200 RRAC members were:[5]...

  • Philip Cullum - Cullum's biography[8] describes him as Acting Chief Executive at the National Consumer Council, a member of the corporate responsibility advisory group for the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales and a member of the national development committee for autism charity, Treehouse. Cullum was previously Executive Director at Opinion Leader Research, Associate Partner at Accenture, and Head of Policy for Which?. He is also reported to have 'been a Board Member of a leading housing association and Chair of a not–for–profit organisation providing mental health services'.

References

  1. Bennett, R. (2005) Risk assessment watchdog set up to halt march of the nanny state Times Online. January 16th 2008. Accessed 29th January 2008
  2. ibid
  3. Government News Network PM calls for a better approach to the understanding and management of public risk Accessed 29th January 2008
  4. Better Regulation Commission Public Risk – the Next Frontier for Better Regulation Accessed 29th January 2008
  5. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform RRAC Members Accessed 29th January 2008
  6. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Rick Haythornthwaite Accessed 29th January 2008
  7. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Lynne Berry Accessed 29th January 2008
  8. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Philip Cullum Accessed 29th January 2008
  9. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Tim Heymann Accessed 29th January 2008
  10. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Lord Jamie Lindsay Accessed 29th January 2008
  11. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Donald Macrae Accessed 29th January 2008
  12. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Sarah Veale Accessed 29th January 2008