§ 9. Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome)To what extent he has been able to secure a reduction in EU bureaucracy during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EU. [39798]
§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Dr. David Clark)In March, we had a successful presidency conference in Manchester at which we discussed ways in which we could improve European Union regulations and minimise unnecessary burdens on business and citizens. Out of that came a 10-point plan, which has been welcomed by the Internal Market Council.
This is part of an on-going programme to cut red tape. Progress will be reviewed in October at the follow-on Vienna conference under the Austrian presidency. I have today placed in the Library copies of the action plan.
§ Mr. HeathI am most grateful to the right hon. Gentleman and commend him for his efforts, but is this not yet another example of the Government entering the British presidency with high hopes and good intentions, but of progress sadly being minimal? Will he establish a timetable so that, beyond the Austrian presidency, there is a clear rationale, to which each member state is committed, behind the reduction of bureaucracy and red tape across the European Union?
§ Dr. David ClarkI have a great deal of sympathy with the hon. Gentleman's view. At national level, we are trying to move from the heavy-handed approach of the state to light-touch government, which we must achieve if we are to survive as national states in the global economy. Every effort must be made to ensure that the European Union follows the constraints that we have adopted at national level. We clearly could not achieve everything that we wanted within a six-month presidency, so we devised what I thought was a rather cunning plan and persuaded the Austrians, who have the follow-on presidency, to adopt the same theme. We also have the Germans' agreement to carry on for a further six months. I hope that there will thus be an 18-month attempt to cut red tape emanating from Brussels.
§ Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)Can the right hon. Gentleman give an example of a reduction in European Union bureaucracy that has specifically resulted from the 709 application of article 3b of the Maastricht treaty, which covers subsidiarity, or of the protocol on subsidiarity of the treaty of Amsterdam?
§ Dr. ClarkWe are currently working on a complicated issue that affects white electrical goods, which means that such goods in all member states will be compatible.