Its role, according to its Terms of Reference was "To advise the Government on action to reduce unnecessary regulatory and administrative burdens, and ensure that regulation and its enforcement are proportionate, accountable, consistent, transparent and targeted".
The task force was replaced by a permanent body, the Better Regulation Commission, on 1 January 2006 and the Government said it was committed to implementing its recommendations.
The task force estimated the total cost of regulation to the UK economy at 10–12% of GDP, or £100 billion, taking into account the related policy work.
[2] The framework for action in the UK included principles, regulatory impact assessments, simplification plans, and post-implementation reviews.
[4] The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006[5] was passed to establish statutory principles of good regulation based on the work of the task force.