BISC: BII claims self-regulation is delivering

The BII claimed self-regulation is "delivering" what it promised to the previous committee to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee.

Its chief executive Neil Robertson said: "The BII is administering a self-regulation scheme. It is a development of previous schemes and an improvement on previous schemes. I think it is delivering what it said it'd deliver.

He said he believed "the standard of investigation and rigour has been good" and admitted progress had taken time due to "fundamental changes" required by operating companies.

"There was always going to be an implementation period. That was the priority and we concentrated on setting up a more rigorous system of accreditation of review and working with the companies on the implementation system."

Trade consultant Phil Dixon said: "I gave your predecessor (committee) an undertaking that I think we could make the industry a fairer place and a better place. It is certainly a fairer place than it was two years ago.

"Whether it is a better place or not, most licensees would say they are not better off because of the economic downturn, but the procedures we have put in place are having a very positive effect."

BISC chairman Adrian Bailey questioned whether the BII had enough staffing and finances to carry out its role of policing the codes of practice. Robertson said it is "economically resourced" and "not over-resourced" and has relied on a lot of goodwill.

But he said the trade could "not necessarily" have moved quicker on implementation.