§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the projects being undertaken by his Department's deregulation unit. [26941]
512W
§ Mr. JackThe departmental deregulation unit co-ordinates the Ministry's deregulation programme which covers key measures such as the deregulation of the milk market, the potato market and, more recently, the agricultural tenancy rules. The unit is currently involved in
the completion of a comprehensive review of the Department's legislation, with a view to repeal or simplification wherever possible;the repeal of unnecessary primary legislation using the new deregulation order-making powers contained in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994;use of the new deregulation enforcement powers contained at section 5 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 following a comprehensive review of enforcement provisions;the preparation of compliance cost assessments for all new regulatory proposals which have the potential to impose burdens on business;the improvement of regulatory practice through, for example, the promotion of risk assessment and better guidance to enforcement bodies;action on priorities for deregulation identified by the deregulation task force;action to repeal or simplify national food composition regulations, and to simplify national food labelling regulations and food additives regulations.