Consulting our Customers
In 2005 the Better Regulation Executive commissioned Ipsos MORI to find out how businesses and the public perceive regulation in the UK. This was designed to identify priority areas for future work.
The research aimed to:
- listen and record attitudes towards regulation
- establish what most concerns businesses and the public
- understand how much people support regulation.
Ipsos MORI conducted 20 focus groups around the country with businesses of all sizes and the public. They also carried out a number of in-depth telephone interviews with leading business representatives.
What were the findings?
Although initial reactions to regulation tended to be negative, discussion and information prompted more positive views.
Both businesses and members of the public saw tangible benefits to regulation:
- Businesses felt it created a level playing field.
- Individuals saw it as protecting them from risks in areas where they had no control themselves – such as nutritional information for packaged meals.
Businesses said they were more likely to support regulations if they knew why they were in place, and understood more about them.
However, individuals said they would not actively look for information, so it’s vital this is made clearly available and provided in the most accessible way.
(1556KB)