Regulation in a changing world: How to meet the needs of the future?

Good regulation shapes markets, protects consumers and the environment, enables innovation and growth, and creates the confidence needed for investment. The government has identified regulatory reform as an important means of delivering its priorities. But economic constraints, political pressures and international uncertainty all make reform both more pressing and more difficult.

This conference – kindly supported by Water UK – brought together government, regulators, industry and civil society to explore how the government wants to change regulation and whether the current relationships between regulators, government and the public are set up to work well for the future. It concluded with a deep dive into utilities regulation: will the planned reforms facilitate long-term investment in UK critical infrastructure, and how can they retain the confidence of all involved?

On this page, you can read our report summarising the themes from the conference and find links to recordings, images and videos of the sessions.

Welcome

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Opening remarks from Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.
 

A keynote speech by Blair McDougall MP, Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation

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The minister delivered a keynote speech, and was then in conversation with Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and David Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Water UK.

Photos from this event are available on our Flickr.

Delivering government policy through regulation

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An expert panel explored the purpose of regulation, and particularly its relationship to government policy. How can strategic direction from government, regulatory independence and consistency across sectors be balanced in a period of rapid change?

• Caleb Deeks, Director General for Competition, Markets and Regulatory Reform at the Department for Business and Trade
• Lord Michael Gove, Editor of The Spectator and former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2017–19)
• Dame Clare Moriarty DCB, Chief Executive at Citizens’ Advice
• Natalie Prosser, Chief Executive Officer at the Office for Environmental Protection

This session was chaired by Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

Photos from this event are available on our Flickr.
 

Creating a regulatory system that attracts investment

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Photos from this event are available on our Flickr.

Panellists discussed how the design of a regulatory system can best build investor confidence and encourage good long-term outcomes.

• Rt Hon George Eustice, former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2020–22)
• Mark McAllister, Chair of Ofgem
• Stefanie Voelz, Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s

This session was chaired by Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.
 

Closing remarks

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Photos from this event are available on our Flickr.

Closing remarks from Dr Matthew Gill, Programme Director at the Institute for Government and Ruth Kelly, Chair of Water UK.