Types of assessment which may be required under the Better Regulation Framework
Updated 4 March 2025
漏 Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at /government/publications/better-regulation-framework/types-of-assessment-which-may-be-required-under-the-better-regulation-framework
The type of assessment you must complete depends on the scale and potential impact of the regulatory proposal. For advice on assessments:
- read the Better Regulation Framework guidance
- contact your department鈥檚 Better Regulation Unit or Chief Analyst鈥檚 office
1. Options assessments
These identify, evaluate and compare different potential solutions to a policy problem. The goal is to select the most effective, efficient and proportionate option and consider a range of alternatives.聽聽
2. Equality impact assessments
These assess the potential impact of a regulation on different groups, including people with protected characteristics.聽聽
3. Environmental impact assessments
These assess the potential environmental impact of regulation.聽聽
4. Regulatory impact assessments
Also known as a final impact assessment, these assess the costs, benefits, and distributional effects of a proposal and are required for regulations with significant impact.