Government appoints economist to review regulation and regulators at Defra

Economist Dan Corry has been appointed to carry out an internal review into the regulation and regulators at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

The Government said the review would examine whether the inherited regulatory landscape is fit for purpose and develop recommendations “to ensure that regulation across the Department is driving economic growth while protecting the environment”.

The review will explore:

• Whether Defra regulators are equipped to drive economic growth, secure private sector investment and protect the environment
• The customer and stakeholder experience of regulation, including the impact on those who are regulated.
• The efficiency of regulation, in particular whether the current regulatory landscape involves any duplication and/or contradiction, and whether there are opportunities to make improvements.

Corry previously served as Head of the No10 Policy Unit under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and as adviser in many Government departments where he was involved in regulatory reform.