[ RadSafe ] Risk, Responsibility, Regulation Whose Risk Is It Anyway?

[Dawson, Fred Mr]

For those of you with an interest in the wider debate about risk, you
might be interested in the flowing report and press article. There may
be a read across to Government policy on radiation and risk, only time
will tell.

http://www.brc.gov.uk/publications/risk_report.asp

"Risk, Responsibility, Regulation: Whose Risk Is It Anyway?"

Our national attitude to risk is becoming defensive and
disproportionate; the way we try to manage risk is leading to regulatory
overkill. There is an over reliance on Government to manage all risks
yet it is neither possible nor desirable to control every risk in life.
Personal responsibility and trust must be encouraged. Britain must
safeguard its sense of adventure, enterprise and competitive edge.

This report recommends a public debate about the management of risk
involving individual citizens and the media but specifically calls for
clear and unambiguous leadership from government to:

1. Change our national approach to risk. 
2. Empower individuals to take more personal responsibility for risk. 
3. Provide high quality training in risk management for Ministers and
senior civil servants. 
4. Establish FARO (the Fast Assessment of Regulatory Options) an
independent, ad hoc panel for expert, dispassionate, evidence-based
examination of urgent calls for government intervention. 


The report is from the Better Regulation Commission (BRC) which provides
independent advice to government, from business and other external
stakeholders, about new regulatory proposals and about the Government's
overall regulatory performance. The Commission will continue the
challenge role carried out by the Better Regulation Task Force, as well
as take on new responsibilities following the announcements in Budget
2005, including vetting departmental plans for simplification and
administrative burden reduction.

The Guardian article on the report can be found at

http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1924842,00.html

Safety last: Britons urged to cast off the cotton wool and rediscover
their spirit of adventure 

* UK too willing to legislate to control risk, says report
* Culture shift blamed on knee-jerk reactions 

Taking any risks today? Chances are you're not, or at least not in the
same way as 10 or 20 years ago. According to a new report by government
advisers, Britain has become a risk-averse nation that over-protects,
over-regulates and needs to rediscover self-reliance and a spirit of
adventure.

Fred Dawson

Fwp_dawson at hotmail.com