Regulation timeline outlined in BIS business plan

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has outlined the planned dates for key regulatory actions in its latest business plan, published as part of the Government’s transparency agenda.

The timeline suggests that the right to request flexible working could be implemented for all by April 2012. The Government plans to analyse responses to the consultation on extending flexible leave rights to all and create a plan for this and shared parental leave between April and December 2011, meaning the rights could be implemented by the following April. Secondary legislation to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children up to age 18 is scheduled to be in place by April 2011.

Draft Regulations to remove the default retirement age are to be laid before Parliament by April 2011 and guidance will be available for employers by September 2011.

The business plan also outlines the Government’s plan to introduce sunset clauses on new regulations so that they automatically expire unless they’re renewed by the Government. Guidance on these clauses was due in September 2010 but is now overdue. A Whitepaper on 'reforming the regulatory landscape', including introducing sunset clauses, is due by May 2011, with legislation scheduled for completion by May 2012.