Communities secretary Eric Pickles this week vowed to axe two government regulations for every one his department introduces – and has called on the rest of Whitehall to do the same.

The commitment goes beyond the long-standing aim of the coalition, contained within its ‘Programme for government', to cut red tape by introducing a ‘one-in, one-out' rule, ‘whereby no new regulation is brought in without other regulations being cut by a greater amount'.