§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the cost to public funds of the statutory instruments introduced in 1999–2000; and if he will list them. [15128]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonA list of the statutory instruments has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It includes those signed by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor and laid before Parliament in the years 1999 and 2000, and also Orders in Council for which the Lord Chancellor's Department was responsible. A list of Northern Ireland statutory rules signed by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor is also included.
The exercise by the Lord Chancellor of a power granted to him in primary legislation to make rules, regulations or other statutory instruments is often a necessary step for the expenditure of public funds, but is not in itself a sufficient step. It is seldom if ever possible to say that the expenditure of any particular sum is attributable to, and only to, a particular statutory instrument.