§ 22. Mrs. LaitTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that the small business sector is fully involved in consultations on his deregulation initiative.
§ 24. Mr. ClappisonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to ensure that due weight is given to the voice of small businesses during his consultations on the deregulation initiative.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonThe cumulative burden of regulation bears most heavily on small businesses and ensuring that they are fully consulted is a central objective of the deregulation initiative. The chairmen of the deregulation task forces have taken on the responsibility for giving special consideration to the needs of small businesses and the 14 task force members representing the small company sector have formed a committee to make specific recommendations.
Following the Prime Minister's meeting on deregulation yesterday, Ministers have committed themselves to greater efforts to involve small companies in Government decision making and to analysing the impact of regulatory 267W proposals on the smallest firms affected. The enforcer's code on helping business comply with regulation, also announced yesterday, will be particularly helpful to small companies.
§ 33. Mr. SteenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made as to the number of rules and regulations from(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Europe which will be amended or abolished by the deregulation unit in the next six months.
§ Mr. Neil HamiltonAt the Prime Minister's progress meeting on deregulation, held yesterday, Ministers agreed a list of specific deregulatory prospects to reduce the burden on businesss. The deregulation unit is a division within my Department which co-ordinates Government action on deregulation, but has no powers itself to amend or abolish regulations created either in Whitehall or the EC.