The U.K. government is tying small-business regulatory changes to a goal of cutting regulation-related administrative costs by 25%, using a package of taskforce recommendations for businesses.
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and HM Treasury published their response Oct. 23. The government-industry taskforce operated from June to September 2026, with a mandate to identify practical regulatory changes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The taskforce said smaller firms face repeated information requests, fragmented processes and varying requirements, while having fewer administrative resources to manage them.
It submitted 15 recommendations across five policy areas. The government says it will advance 14, with the package intended to make regulation simpler and more proportionate for SMEs.
The response says the changes should preserve core protections and regulatory outcomes.
The government’s acceptance of 14 of the 15 recommendations was covered previously. Officials say they plan to publish progress on the 25% goal, but the response gives no date for an update.
