§ Dr. CableTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many proposals to impose new regulations on business have been dropped as a result of the application of Regulatory Impact Assessment. [98049]
§ Marjorie MowlamRegulatory Impact Assessment is an iterative process that begins when policy options are first explored. During the development of a proposal, options may be dropped for various reasons, including the potential burden on business. But information is not collected on proposals that are dropped and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Proposals that come before Parliament, and which are accompanied by a final, published Regulatory Impact Assessment have been judged to be necessary and to strike the right balance between cost and benefit.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the costs(a) reduced and (b) avoided as a result of the use of Regulatory Impact Assessments for the last year for which figures are available. [98043]
§ Marjorie MowlamI have made no such estimates. Regulatory Impact Assessments show the expected costs and benefits of proposals that are brought forward. These individual assessments are placed in the Libraries of the House.
Where a new proposal has the benefit of replacing an earlier more costly arrangement, that would be shown in the relevant Regulatory Impact Assessment.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make it her policy to encourage(a) utility and (b) other sector regulators to adopt the principles contained in her Department's Regulatory Impact Assessment guidelines in respect of their regulatory decisions. [98051]
§ Marjorie MowlamThe requirements of the Better Regulation Guide and Regulatory Impact Assessment apply primarily to Government Departments and agencies who bring regulations before Parliament. It is also appropriate for other agencies such as utility and other sector regulators where they do not already have such guidance built into their statutory requirements.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will set(a) departmental and (b) overall targets for reducing the burden of regulation, measured by (i) volume of regulatory requirements and (ii) costs imposed by those requirements. [98550]
§ Marjorie MowlamThe volume and cost of regulation is less important than its quality and effectiveness. To focus on the number of regulations or their cost is826W meaningless because it ignores the benefits to business, society and the environment that can result from targeted and proportionate regulation.
The process of Regulatory Impact Assessment aims to ensure that the costs of regulation are justified by the benefits.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures are in place to ensure that departments comply with the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Assessment guidelines. [98089]
§ Marjorie MowlamThe Procedure for compliance is in the form of ministerial agreement that regulatory proposals with an impact on businesses, charities or voluntary bodies should have a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) prior to collective agreement being sought. Departments consult the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit as part of this process.
Ministers and their Departmental Regulatory Impact Units have responsibility for ensuring that RIAs are published and placed in the Libraries of the House. Copies of all final RIAs must also be sent to Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit.