§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those measures introduced by his Department within the past year and intended to be of benefit to small businesses.
§ Mr. RidleyMy Department has introduced a number of measures, many of which are part of the deregulation initiative described in Cmnds. 9571 and 9794. In particular we have:
- Set up and funded two pilot "one stop shops" in partnership with Nottingham City and Blackburn district councils, providing a single advice point within each local authority, to help small firm inquiries;
- Provided that specific planning permission is no longer needed for certain extensions to industrial and warehouse buildings except in environmentally sensitive areas;
- Published "A Step by Step Guide to Planning Permission for Small Businesses";
- Published circular 2/86 "Development by Small Businesses" urging local planning authorities to be helpful in dealing with small firms' planning applications and adopt a commonsense approach to enforcement;
- Included measures in the Housing and Planning Bill to extend the assured tenancy scheme to improved, repaired and converted dwellings; to simplify the planning system; and to improve procedures for planning applications and appeals;
- Introduced simpler and more flexible building regulations covering England and Wales including inner London;
- Given increased funding to the Development Commission to enable it to expand its factory workshop and redundant building grants programmes and the advisory and assistance services operated by its agency, the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas.