Red tape cuts must not leave people unprotected (From Salisbury Journal)

Red tape cuts must not leave people unprotected

7:00am Thursday 24th January 2013 in Letters

MR Glen was perhaps unlucky in the timing of his View from the Commons piece (Cutting red tape and easing the administrative burden on business is a key priority for this government, January 17) coming as it did almost to the day that the ‘horse burger’ scandal broke.

The meat hygiene service has had its budget cut and there has been a reduction in inspections by trading standards as part of the drive against bureaucracy. Lots of deregulation there, it seems.

We were told after the BSE crisis that foolproof controls and animal passports were in place to prevent contamination from happening again. It now appears no one knows where the horse meat came from or even exactly what it consists of.

I am sure there are some pieces of red tape that need getting rid of. But the truth is that most regulation is there to protect us, including the things we eat. In this instance, easing the burden has led to some very dubious products being sold to the public. The horse burger scandal has shown that in the drive to cut red tape, the safety and well-being of the public should not be lost sight of.

PETER CURBISHLEY, Great Durnford