Regulations (Hansard, 23 July 1997)

§ Mrs. Golding
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on how he proposes to help businesses understand and comply with regulations. [10513]

§ Mr. Kilfoyle
As part of this Government's better regulation programme, we are determined to make central and local government's regulatory advice and service more transparent, accessible and helpful. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has therefore asked me to lead a new initiative called access business, which will co-ordinate and modernise a wide range of regulatory advice, forms and guidance for business into a simpler, more unified service. We have set up an access business group, whose first meeting I am chairing today, which consists of the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle); the Minister for SMall Firms, Trade and Industry; Teresa Graham from the Institute of Chartered Accountants; and Councillor John Ryan, chair of the Local Government Association's public protection committee. I look forward to the access business group announcing the first fruits of its work in the autumn.

§ Mrs. Golding
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about his Department's policy in relation to the previous Government's consultation on proposals to apply to enforcement provisions in section 5 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 to trading standards, environment health and care services legislation. [10514]

§ Mr. Kilfoyle
A number of those who responded to the earlier consultation expressed significant concerns about the inflexibility and potential bureaucracy that would arise from the strict application of section 5 in these areas. There was, none the less, broad support from business, local authorities and enforcement bodies for the principles of good enforcement. This Government are committed to the fair, open and consistent enforcement of regulations. One of the first tasks, therefore, of the access business group, referred to in my previous answer, will be to build on the consensus about the principles of good enforcement while avoiding the inflexibility and expense in the last Government's proposals to legislate in these areas. I hope that we shall be able to agree a new joint approach later this year.