London Editor
Westcountry hotels could cut food waste by reducing the size of plates in their restaurants, a team of Government advisers has indicated.
The Government's Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), which finds ways of "nudging" people to make better choices for themselves rather than through state intervention, has hailed "impressive results" from a study by Norwegian researchers into hotel buffets.
The report, by GreeNudge, found that smaller plates cut food waste by 19.5%. It also claimed introducing a sign pointing out that guests can help themselves more than once slashed food waste by 20.5%
"They found that reducing plate size and communicating that it's OK to come back for another serving resulted in a decrease in food waste whilst hotel guest satisfaction remained the same," said the BIT, known as the "nudge unit", in a blog which has yet to become fully fledged policy.
Tourism is the lifeblood of the Devon and Cornwall economy, employing thousands of people and attracting millions of people every year, with the region reliant on the sector more than any other part of the country.
The "nudge" team, established after the 2010 election, has previously helped to stamp out potential tax-dodging by localising letters stating nine out of ten Britons paid their dues on time, and that most people in their area had already done it.
Meanwhile, sending out personalised text messages to people who owed money to the courts – essentially with their name on it – prompted more to cough up on time. It will now be at the centre of initiatives on everything from job seeking to anti-smoking.
More details of its work emerged as Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude announced that the "nudge unit" will become a profit-making business.
The team of experts will join with a commercial partner in a John Lewis-style mutual to become the first policy unit to be spun out of Whitehall.
But Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "There is nothing mutual, co-operative or employee-led about what Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude is trying to do.
"The first mutual in the civil service was imposed by Maude's Government against a backdrop of strikes by the staff who wanted to remain as civil servants.
"Improving public services requires investment, not gimmicks and back-door privatisation."
It could be the first of "dozens" of elements of Whitehall to be spun out under Mr Maude's strategy to shake up the Civil Service.
A spokesman for Mr Maude said: "We are in a global race for the jobs and opportunities of the future. To get Britain back on the rise we must find innovative ways to deliver better services more efficiently.
"It's great news that the world-renowned 'nudge' unit is spinning out from central Government.
"As a mutual, they will combine the benefits of private-sector experience and investment with the innovation and commitment from staff leadership.
"We hope to support dozens more new spin-outs over the next few years. This is a whole new growth area and Britain is leading the way."
