Growth in Red Tape an indictment of Stormont – Allister
23 April 2011
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister:-
“Among the many failures at Stormont in the last four years is that of failing to reduce red tape for farmers. Four years on from the return of devolution we are more mired in bureaucratic nonsense than ever. Stormont has become a factory for regulation, instead of the promised assault station on red tape.
“In 2009 the Independent Better Regulation Taskforce reported that the financial burden caused by unnecessary regulation could be reduced by £10-15m, yet it took Stormont, both DARD and DOE, a full year to respond and begin to establish a Better Regulation Unit, with still no product a further year on.
“DARD loves to blame everything on Europe – and much blame attaches there – but, Stormont has utterly failed to filter EU Directives in such a way as to minimise the proliferation of bureaucracy. The ratio of DARD employees to active farmers remains a staggering testimony to the over-regulation of the industry.
“In Stormont TUV MLAs will be a constant terror to needless regulation and foolish meddling. We will persistently demand a cull of unnecessary controls and push for an annual audit to repeal defunct and pointless regulation.”
