BRC responds to consultation on UK Internal Market
Responding to the UK government’s consultation on its legislative proposals on the UK Internal Market, published today, BRC’s head of devolved nations, David Lonsdale, said:
“We look forward to examining the legislative proposals in detail and to responding to the consultation in due course.
“The UK’s departure from the EU is seeing new powers repatriated from Brussels to Westminster and the devolved administrations. As such, retailers and their suppliers who operate across the UK potentially face a more diverse and complex trading environment.
“We must not lose sight of the fact that consumers and our economy as a whole benefits enormously from the UK’s largely unfettered internal single market, as economies of scale and regulatory consistency helps reduce business costs which in turn keeps down shop prices and provides greater consumer choice. Increasingly differential approaches towards public policy in different parts of the UK may well offer new flexibilities, however it also risks a more fragmented environment for firms operating across the UK.
“On those key policy areas of relevance to retail we are keen to see the fullest possible alignment between the UK and devolved administrations, with them working together to minimise any administrative complexity, frictions and costs which apply to firms.”
