How strong are British banks?

Professor Kevin Dowd and Dr Dean Buckner
31 July 2020
Research

How strong are British banks?

and can they pass the Covid-19 stress test?

Summary The Bank of England maintains that UK banks are strongly capitalised. The evidence from banks’ share prices and market values contradicts this claim. Banks are more fragile now than they were going into the last crisis. The Bank of England’s failure to ensure the resilience of the banking system suggests a need for radical ... Continue reading
Professor Kevin Dowd and Dr Dean Buckner
31 July 2020
Share
Download
PRESS RELEASE

The Information Commissioner has extensive powers but is not being held to account

Victoria Hewson
16 July 2020
Regulation

The Information Commissioner has extensive powers but is not being held to account

The Information Commissioner and its Office (the ICO) are among the most high profile regulators in this country. They oversee and enforce compliance of data protection regulations that not only impact organisations here in Britain but, at least in theory, anywhere that the personal data of UK citizens is processed. They can impose huge fines, ... Continue reading
Victoria Hewson
16 July 2020
Share
Leave a comment on The Information Commissioner has extensive powers but is not being held to account

Who regulates the regulators?

16 July 2020
Regulation

Who regulates the regulators?

Victoria Hewson writes for CapX

The Information Commissioner and its Office (the ICO) are among the most high profile regulators in this country. They can impose huge fines, undertake investigations on business premises, and bring criminal prosecutions. They can issue guidance that is very influential on how firms act. Writing for CapX, IEA Head of Regulatory Affairs Victoria Hewson references   ... Continue reading
16 July 2020
Share

Done right, free ports can be “transformative”

15 July 2020
Regulation

Done right, free ports can be “transformative”

Victoria Hewson quoted by the Daily Express

Responding to reports that  the Government will , the IEA's Head of Regulatory Affairs Victoria Hewson voiced support for the plan. Quoted in the Daily Express, Victoria said: "Done right, free ports can be transformative. "This announcement sends a strong message that the UK is serious about embracing the freedoms that come with leaving the ... Continue reading
15 July 2020
Share

Who Regulates the Regulators?

Victoria Hewson and James Tumbridge
15 July 2020
Research

Who Regulates the Regulators?

No 1: The Information Commissioner's Office

Summary The Information Commissioner has wide ranging functions and powers. They are not always parameterised clearly in the relevant legislation. The Information Commissioner’s reporting shows little evidence that objectives are being met, or even measured. The Parliamentary Committee responsible has not performed its scrutiny function of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) well and a forum ... Continue reading
Victoria Hewson and James Tumbridge
15 July 2020
Share
Download
PRESS RELEASE

Who regulates the regulator? “Little evidence” ICO is meeting its objectives, says IEA research

15 July 2020
Regulation

Who regulates the regulator? “Little evidence” ICO is meeting its objectives, says IEA research

The Information Commissioner has wide-ranging functions and powers. They are not always parameterised correctly in the relevant legislation; There is little evidence that objectives are being met – or even measured; The current data protection regime is not working as had been foreseen by the European Commission in its impact assessment for the General Data ... Continue reading
15 July 2020
Share

Liberalising planning rules would help the economy adjust to changing business patterns

Philip Booth
14 July 2020
Regulation

Liberalising planning rules would help the economy adjust to changing business patterns

Milton Friedman once said that “Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless”. Other amazing achievements of the turning wine into water variety include presiding over a planning system that simultaneously has empty high streets and unaffordable housing. In the post-Covid world, there could be ... Continue reading
Philip Booth
14 July 2020
Share
Leave a comment on Liberalising planning rules would help the economy adjust to changing business patterns

Do ministers want to help the UK become a global tech powerhouse, or hinder it?

10 July 2020
Regulation

Do ministers want to help the UK become a global tech powerhouse, or hinder it?

Victoria Hewson writes for The Telegraph

'The Government hopes to boost digital trade, while backing a range of measures designed to deter technological innovation and investment." Writing for The Telegraph, IEA Head of Regulatory Affairs Victoria Hewson explores the contradictory actions of the Government when it comes to tech policy. Read the full article here.... Continue reading
10 July 2020
Share

CMA recommendations are “based on fear”, says Victoria Hewson

2 July 2020
Regulation

CMA recommendations are “based on fear”, says Victoria Hewson

"The CMA recommendations are based on fears for possible future harms to innovation and competition. Rather than wait for any such harms to consumers to be proven, they wish to empower a regulator to take preemptive action - which would be a dangerous step, predicated on the idea that expert regulators could know what configuration ... Continue reading
2 July 2020
Share

The post-Covid world does not need more regulation

17 June 2020
Regulation

The post-Covid world does not need more regulation

Is carbon the new calorie when it comes to product labelling and transparency? Professor Philip Booth, Dean of Faculty (Education, Humanities and Social Sciences) at St Mary's University, Twickenham and Senior Academic Fellow at the IEA, has contributed to a City AM debate. He writes: "Despite decades of talk of 'bonfires of regulation,' politicians are ... Continue reading
17 June 2020
Share