Our civil servants famously insist on enforcing all regulations. We gold-plate directives from the EU, so they affect us more than other member states.

It is obvious, nonetheless, that some regulations matter more than others. It might cause concern to have 5,000 gallon fuel containers stored next to primary schools, but the risk caused to us by someone selling cheese by the pound instead of the kilo is minimal.

As a first step to sensible regulation we should grade all regulations. The ones which put life and limb at risk should be designated as grade-1, whereas those which hardly affect anyone should be given grade-5.

Given limited resources to deploy in enforcement, we obviously have to put them into areas which matter. Breach of grade-1 rules might carry a serious penalty, whereas anyone breaking a minor rule could be let off with a caution. Since the inspectors would be directed to cover important areas, the chances are that small businesses would not be bothered overmuch with the annoying trivia which eats into their time and costs without benefitting anyone.

As well as bringing some common sense to regulation, this would have the added advantage of exposing sham deregulation. If all that were abolished were grade-5 rules concerned with selling meths on Sunday or brewing mead, we would spot the exercise for the hype and spin it was.