Submitted by: NCW Darlington & District Branch

The National Council of Women, in Conference assembled, is concerned that: (i) the time-consuming burden of paperwork within the Health service, Education and the Police Force, makes the provision of these services less effective; (ii) cutting down on excess paperwork would ultimately lead to savings in the provision of these services; (iii) reducing the administrative burden would enable the restoration of the correct priorities within these services, thus improving morale, energy and enthusiasm; (iv) the use of paperwork relating to ‘Health and Safety’ and ‘Target Achievement’ can be counterproductive and has sometimes led to a culture of dishonesty. NCW urges Her Majesty’s Government to: (a) enable a simple consultation within the Health, Education and Police services in order to quickly identify the specific examples of unnecessary paperwork; (b) use its powers to readdress any legal requirements in order to reduce this administrative burden, should the need arise.