Source · National Audit Office

Regulating for growth

Published: 21 Jan 2026 Recommendations: 4 Type: Value for Money Department: Department for Business & Trade

This report examines whether government and regulators are aligned in their growth ambitions, and the efficacy of recent growth initiatives.

Dept: Department for Business & TradeHM Treasury Topics: Business and industryRegulation nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

4 items
Government response pending.

The NAO has not yet recorded a response to these recommendations. This report was published 21 January 2026.

Rec Recommendation Addressee Acceptance Implementation
1
DBT?s and HMT?s joint unit (the Unit) should develop an Action Plan implementation plan and monitoring arrangements by Spring 2026. This should include: ? milestones for regulators and departments that span the whole Action Plan, and a quarterly internal reporting cycle to report progress and risks; ? a reporting timetable to track progress, and flag risks in a timely manner; and ? arrangements for data validation, interim and final evaluation of the programme.
Ref Page 11, a
Department for Business and Trade; HM Treasury Pending
2
The Unit should draw together a package of work that will help Secretaries of State and select committees hold regulators to account for delivery of commitments and more broadly contributions to the growth agenda, within six months. This should include: ? a risk-based framework that articulates how regulators contribute to growth, their trade-offs and levers; ? innovation and good practice to encourage growth identified through the cross-government regulators? working group; and ? an engagement plan to share the framework with select committees
Ref Page 11, b
Department for Business and Trade; HM Treasury Pending
3
In light of the government?s commitment to strengthen the Growth Duty, DBT should: ? work with regulators to identify which regulators and regulatory functions are in scope of the Growth Duty, and set this out publicly; and ? review the monitoring framework.
Ref Page 11, c
Department for Business and Trade Pending
4
DBT and HMT should improve the monitoring of administrative burden to business by: ? amending the guidance for regulatory impact assessments conducted for new legislation and by regulators, to make sure future assessments distinguish the administrative burden from the overall cost to business; and ? identifying the regulatory actions with the greatest impact and support departments and regulators to deliver these.
Ref Page 11, d
Department for Business and Trade; HM Treasury Pending

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.

10 Jun 2026 Public Accounts C… 4th Report - Regulating for growth — 2 recommendations · parliament.uk