§ 13. Ms Linda Perham (Ilford, North)What initiatives his Department is taking in conjunction with other Departments to reduce burdens on business. [120517]
§ The Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce (Ms Patricia Hewitt)The Government have set up a new panel, chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, to hold Ministers to account for their regulatory 1008 performance. David Irwin, the chief executive of the new Small Business Service, is a member of that panel, and the Small Business Service will be scrutinising all proposed regulations to assess their impact on small businesses and to ensure that all officials and Ministers concerned with regulation think small first.
§ Ms PerhamI thank my hon. Friend for that answer and welcome the measures that she is taking with other Departments to reduce red tape for small businesses. Is she aware that, between 1994 and 1996, the Conservative Government introduced 10,000 extra regulations, and that according to the recent OECD economic outlook, the UK has fewer regulations than other OECD countries? Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government, as well as supporting enterprise, are also delivering fairness at work for thousands of employees, including the national minimum wage, paid holidays and family-friendly policies?
§ Ms HewittMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. The OECD confirmed in its latest benchmarking study that economic product market regulation in the United Kingdom is lower than in any other industrial country, including the United States of America. I entirely agree that it is essential to distinguish between administrative costs and red tape, and providing decent standards at work for employees. Conservative Members, as they have confirmed again today, opposed the introduction of the minimum wage, decent basic holidays for employees and the working families tax credit. They have also opposed measures to help parents balance work and family.
§ Mr. Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks)Has the Minister not read the report of her own taskforce, chaired by Lord Haskins, which concluded that entrepreneurs have been distracted from running or enlarging their businesses by the cumulative burden of taxation, employment, public protection and environmental legislation? Does she agree or disagree?
§ Ms HewittWe have asked the better regulation taskforce to help us continue to improve the situation and to continue reducing the burden of red tape upon business. I welcome the taskforce' s report. We are studying its recommendations seriously and shall respond within 60 days.