§ 15. Mr. SteenTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proposals he has to extend the better regulation initiative. [54737]
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§ Dr. Jack CunninghamAs part of the Better Regulation Initiative I am determined to extend good practice at all stages of regulatory work. In August we published new guidance to help Departments to apply the Better Regulation Task Force's principles of good regulation.
This means that no regulatory proposal which has an impact on businesses, charities and voluntary bodies should be considered by the Government without a thorough assessment of the risks, costs and benefits, a clear analysis of who will be affected and an explanation of why a non-regulatory approach would be insufficient. The Guide replaces the previous Administration's range of guidance on Deregulation, Compliance Cost Assessment and Risk Assessment with a single document.
The publication of the Guide also heralds the introduction of a more comprehensive system of regulatory reporting to meet the Government's manifesto commitment to monitor the regulatory activity. Every Department is required to publish an account (in the Departmental Report) of their regulatory activity with examples of how they have improved the quality and effectiveness of regulation through the application of the Task Force's principles.