Government policy has failed

BMJ 1996;312:1038 (20 April)

Letters

Government policy has failed

EDITOR,--Several weeks ago two of us expressed concern aboutthe credibility of government advice on public health.¹ Theissue of bovine spongiform encephalopathy has confirmed thedisbelief with which some government pronouncements on publichealth are regarded in Britain and worldwide. If this situationis not to be repeated lessons must be learnt from three failuresof policy.

The deregulatory culture in Britain contributed to the failureto regulate recycling of sheep remains until 1989, althoughthe Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution had expressedconcern about this in 1979.² Ministers have taken minimal action,which has consistently been based on the most optimistic scenarios.³Deregulation is justified largely on financial grounds. Comparisonof the total costs that will be incurred in Britain with thoseof more regulatory policies elsewhere shows that this is nottenable. Amazingly, the government confirmed its intention torelax further regulations on food hygiene immediately after. . . [Full text of this article]