HC Deb 04 December 1995 vol 268 cc13-4W
Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many statutory instruments his Department sponsored in the last Session of Parliament; and how many of these(a) constituted a new rule or regulation, (b) were introduced to implement European Community directives and (c) amplify the minimum standards set out in an original European Community directive. [2464]

Mr. Clappison

[holding answer 28 November 1995]: The Department of the Environment was responsible for 192 statutory instruments in the last Session of Parliament. It is not possible to give a precise number for those which constituted a new rule or regulation. However, the White Paper "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead", Cm 2867, presented to Parliament in May this year, referred at page 192 to seven categories of regulations made in 1994. The statutory instruments made during the last Session of Parliament for which the Department was responsible fell within those categories as follows:

  1. (i) EU and international obligations: 9
  2. (ii) NHS Trusts: 0
  3. (iii) Fees and local provisions: 43
  4. (iv) Facilitating privatisation and competition: 12
  5. (v) Repeals and more favourable regimes: 12
  6. (vi) Other (with possible impact on business): 39
  7. (vii) Other (with no impact on business): 80.

In addition, there were five commencement orders.

The totals do not exactly correspond with the total number of statutory instruments as a small number fall within more than one category.

In addition, nine statutory instruments have been made since the Health and Safety Executive became a non-departmental public body in connection with which the Department of the Environment has responsibilities.

Of these, three fell within the category of giving effect to EC and international obligations, one fell within the category of fees and local provisions, five fell within the category of repeals and more favourable regimes and six within the category of other instruments with a possible impact on business.

None of the instruments adopts measures which set higher standards than minimum standards explicitly laid down in an EC directive.