Better Regulation is headlined as a central element of the government’s economic policy, linked to an ongoing drive to further improve productivity, via the simplification of taxes and regulation, and policies to improve the regulatory environment for employers. Improving public services and bringing them closer to the needs of citizens and businesses also has a direct link with Better Regulation policies. Finally, regulatory reform is seen as a process that can help to meet the broader challenges faced by the United Kingdom and shared with other OECD countries, including climate change, the intensification of cross-border economic competition through globalisation, the need to improve prospects for deprived regions and communities and, not least, to promote economic recovery in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The potential economic benefits of pursuing a Better Regulation agenda have been assessed as significant. The government for example estimates that further efforts to reduce administrative burdens could lead to direct savings for business and consumers of around GBP 4 billion (0.3% of GDP).