'No progress' in cutting regulation

The departing head of the Institute of Directors attacked the Government yesterday for the "burdens" it was imposing on industry, saying hardly anyone believed regulations were being reduced.

Miles Templeman said the Coalition's approach to employment was a prime example where "no progress" had been made in cutting the regulatory burden, and the situation was "getting worse". He cited the new Agency Workers Directive, which he said would add up to £2bn to the costs of UK plc, and next year's auto-enrolment of pensions, which he claimed would cost firms £3bn.

"The Government should be helping businesses to create jobs, not hammering [them] with new rules," he said. "If the Government expects the private sector to create new jobs and compete with emerging economies in Asia and South America, we need to maintain and ideally improve our labour market flexibility."

Mr Templeman's successor as the IoD director-general is Simon Walker.