Rules and Regulations (Hansard, 7 November 1995)

§ Mr. Steen
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the rules and regulations he proposes to repeal or amend by means of a reference to the Deregulation Committee before the end of 1995; and if he will make a statement. [41537]

§ Mr. Boswell
[holding answer 6 November 1995]: I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 6 November 1995, Official Report, column 490.

§ Mr. Steen
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations his Department proposes to repeal by the end of 1995; if he proposes to conduct a compliance cost assessment on each regulation repealed; and what is the estimated cost of undertaking a compliance cost assessment to assess the advantages or disadvantages of such a repeal. [41557]

§ Mr. Boswell
[holding answer 6 November 1995]: Examples of regulations which are expected to be brought forward for repeal this year include a series of national measures relating to food composition and food additives and contaminants.
The requirement to carry out a cost compliance assessment applies to regulations which impose additional burdens on business while the programme of repeals and amendments is concerned with reducing the burden.

§ Mr. Steen
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer by the repeal of each rule and regulation which has so far been the subject of a reference to the Deregulation Committee from his Department; and in how many cases a compliance cost assessment has been carried out. [41538]

§ Mr. Boswell
[holding answer 6 November 1995]: My Department has laid two draft deregulation proposals to date, removing certain burdens under the Corn Returns Act 1882 and in relation to slaughterhouses. No estimate has been made of the likely savings to the Exchequer as a result of these proposed orders, but they are likely to be small.
The explanatory document which is presented to the committee alongside each draft order is required to contain an assessment of the cost of savings to business and any other persons whom the draft order is intended to benefit.