Legislative & Reform Bill

[scarylady]

Like several other friends on here, I wrote to my MP, Michael Meacher, regarding this Bill.

The letter I received back is singularly brief:

"Thank you for your letter.

The aim of this Bill is to usher in a number of the wide-scale reforms announced in the Better Regulation Action Plan of May 2005.

Yes, I have been looking into this Bill, and I agree its implications are unprecedented and very worrying."

And that's it, that's all I got. I can't decide whether I've just been agreed with or just been blanked.

So I looked up the Better Regulation Action Plan. Apparently this Plan is designed to move away from "the assumption since the first legislation of Victorian times - that business, unregulated, will invariably act irresponsibly." and towards "the better view .. that businesses want to act responsibly."

Yeah right, sure they do.

Comments

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

Businesses are run by individuals, therefore, if you make that assumption about businesses the same should apply to people, so I presume we will see some moves to reduce ASBOs etc?

(In my dreams).

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

No, actually I think it's more akin to "if you are not yet perceived to have committed an anti-social crime, then carry on because no-one is going to be closely monitoring you" which is kind of how individuals are treated now isn't it?

The difference being that individuals are not driven by share-holders who want to see maximum profit regardless of the (non-financial) cost. To assume that the majority of businesses will behave responsibly and should only be monitored and/or investigated if they are already perceived to be bad guys (and in whose estimation?) strikes me as abject madness.

And the interesting thing is that, in Mr Meacher's opinion, the Reform Bill is designed to usher in the Action Plan. So presumably they think that they couldn't get it off the ground under current legislation?

which is kind of how individuals are treated now isn't it

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

I think that's becoming increasingly arguable. But I take your point.

Abject madness it certainly is.

[pauln.livejournal.com]

I'd say that's agreement.

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

I think your right, but I notice that he completely avoids saying whether he's intending doing anything about it.

The response seems to amount to "hmm, yes, very worrying"

[flannelcat.livejournal.com]

Time to write back, aye?

"Thank you for your input. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

Go on. Get all Paxman on 'im. :P