Government consultation is changing – why our collective voice matters

Government consultation is changing – why our collective voice matters

The Government is changing its approach to formal consultation, with much more emphasis likely to be placed on direct engagement and participatory policymaking rather than the traditional consultation process. We have been made aware of the details from our friends at the Tourism Alliance and we are very grateful to them for this update.

The Chancellor, First Secretary of State and Attorney General have written to ministers setting out a new approach designed to allow government to make decisions and act more quickly.

In simple terms:

• Formal consultation will no longer be the default. Ministers are expected to make decisions and proceed, consulting formally only where legally required, where not consulting would be clearly unfair, or where ministers specifically choose to seek outside input.

• Existing consultation and reporting requirements will be reviewed, with the Government intending to repeal thousands of statutory requirements during this Parliament.

• Ministers will instead be encouraged towards more direct, participatory policymaking with relevant organisations and stakeholders.

• Government will accept a higher level of legal risk in progressing policy where there is a tenable legal argument for doing so.

• Restrictions on repeated judicial reviews are also expected to be extended across nationally significant infrastructure projects.

The practical implication is simple: government intends to move faster, formally consult less, and rely more heavily on direct engagement with organisations and sectors it considers credible and representative.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO THE OIA / OUTDOOR SECTOR

This change makes the collective voice of our industry more important, not less.

Historically, a formal consultation gave every business and organisation an established opportunity to submit its views. If that process becomes less common, influence increasingly happens before a policy is announced and through the relationships government has with representative organisations. 

That is an important part of the OIA’s role. We work directly with several government departments, while collaborating closely with organisations including the Tourism Alliance, UK Active Outdoors For All and other national representative bodies and coalitions.

These relationships allow us to connect the outdoor recreation industries into much larger conversations around tourism, physical activity, health, access to the outdoors, economic growth, employment and environmental policy.

When appropriate, we can lobby as the OIA. At other times, our voice is significantly stronger when we join forces with organisations representing tourism, sport, physical activity and the wider visitor economy.

One business can make a point. A whole industry can make a case. And several industries speaking together can help shape policy.

That is one of the most important reasons for being part of the OIA.

OIA membership gives the outdoor sector the scale, evidence and collective credibility to sit at the table when government is developing policy – increasingly, perhaps, before there is a formal consultation asking for our views.

We will continue working with our partners and government contacts to understand what these changes mean in practice and, most importantly, to make sure the outdoor recreation industries have a strong and coordinated voice.