Policy Threads

13 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

The establishment of the Regulatory Innovation Office is a welcome recognition of the need to tackle regulatory barriers to innovation, particularly at the cutting edge. We believe that it can play a significant role in ensuring that innovation benefits the whole of the UK, beyond the and we will be closely tracking its development and impact. (Conclusion, Paragraph 118)

The establishment of the Regulatory Innovation Office is a welcome recognition of the need to tackle regulatory barriers to innovation, particularly at the cutting edge. We believe that it can play a significant role in ensuring that innovation benefits the …

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15 Nov 2023 | Committee report linked

We asked at what point DESNZ would pull the plug for a project that might not succeed. It explained that it carries out a review process across its portfolio using evidence and modelling to understand the impact of a low-carbon technology.51 DSIT added 41 Qq 33, 42, 43 42 C&AG’s Report, para 2.12, Qq 49, 50, 58 43 C&AG’s Report, para 2.29 44 Qq 50, 51, 61, 63 45 Q 58 46 Qq 49, 61 47 Qq 58, 60 48 Qq 8, 14, 47 49 Qq 8, 19; C&AG’s Report, para 19 50 Qq 8, 9, 10 51 Qq 10, 19 Support for innovatio...

We asked at what point DESNZ would pull the plug for a project that might not succeed. It explained that it carries out a review process across its portfolio using evidence and modelling to understand the impact of a low-carbon …

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17 May 2023 | Committee report linked

We recommend that the Government takes a balanced approach to supporting the development of cryptoasset technologies. It should seek to avoid expending public resources on supporting cryptoasset activities without a clear, beneficial use case, as appears to have been the case with the Royal Mint NFT. It is not the Government’s role to promote particular technological innovations for their own sake.

We recommend that the Government takes a balanced approach to supporting the development of cryptoasset technologies. It should seek to avoid expending public resources on supporting cryptoasset activities without a clear, beneficial use case, as appears to have been the …

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20 Mar 2023 | Committee report linked

There are a number of challenges facing innovation in the maritime sector. Some of these the Government has started to address, such as by supporting an Innovation Hub at the Port of Tyne, to help break down barriers to collaboration. We welcome this.

There are a number of challenges facing innovation in the maritime sector. Some of these the Government has started to address, such as by supporting an Innovation Hub at the Port of Tyne, to help break down barriers to collaboration. …

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16 Jun 2022 | Committee report linked

The FCA should investigate whether there are more opportunities to enable larger firms to undertake controlled, supervised experiments with innovative products. For example, it may be desirable to allow firms to be more experimental with the designs of new products, by setting aside additional capital in order to compensate consumers generously if new products being tested out by a limited number of consumers turn out not to benefit those consumers as anticipated. This approach would not be w...

The FCA should investigate whether there are more opportunities to enable larger firms to undertake controlled, supervised experiments with innovative products. For example, it may be desirable to allow firms to be more experimental with the designs of new products, …

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15 Sep 2021 | Committee report linked

The Department and regulators have been slow to follow best practice in facilitating innovation. The Government’s 2019 White Paper ‘Regulation for the 4th Industrial Revolution’ found that only 29% of businesses believed that government’s approach to regulation facilitates innovation. The Department aims to promote innovation in various ways, primarily through the Regulatory Horizons Council and the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund which has made £13m available to regulators so far. However, the Fina...

The Department and regulators have been slow to follow best practice in facilitating innovation. The Government’s 2019 White Paper ‘Regulation for the 4th Industrial Revolution’ found that only 29% of businesses believed that government’s approach to regulation facilitates innovation. The …

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15 Sep 2021 | Committee report linked

The Government’s 2019 White Paper ‘Regulation for the 4th Industrial Revolution’ found that only 29% of businesses believed that “government’s approach to regulation facilitates innovative products and services being efficiently brought to market”.9 The Department explained that enabling innovation and innovative sectors to grow has been a central plank of the work that it has been doing on regulation over the past few years. The Government’s Regulatory Horizons Council focuses on looking at ...

The Government’s 2019 White Paper ‘Regulation for the 4th Industrial Revolution’ found that only 29% of businesses believed that “government’s approach to regulation facilitates innovative products and services being efficiently brought to market”.9 The Department explained that enabling innovation

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15 Sep 2021 | Committee report linked

Rapid technological development is altering traditional business and commerce, the climate emergency is driving changes in business and consumer behaviour, and changing social attitudes are shifting citizens’ expectations of regulators. The UK’s exit from the EU has also created both risks and opportunities, as the UK takes on new regulatory roles and responsibilities previously performed at EU level including setting laws and regulations.15

Rapid technological development is altering traditional business and commerce, the climate emergency is driving changes in business and consumer behaviour, and changing social attitudes are shifting citizens’ expectations of regulators. The UK’s exit from the EU has also created both …

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28 Jun 2021 | Committee report linked

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) could provide a mechanism to contract for innovation by driving public-private collaboration and encouraging 54 Post-pandemic economic growth: Industrial policy in the UK competition between commercial organisations to secure alternative sources of investment for growth. We believe that an agency which can take risks and be flexible in the way it supports commercial innovation has the potential to accelerate progress against the Government’s p...

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) could provide a mechanism to contract for innovation by driving public-private collaboration and encouraging 54 Post-pandemic economic growth: Industrial policy in the UK competition between commercial organisations to secure alternative sources of i

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