§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's application of(a) subsidiarity and (b) proportionality in applying EU legislation. [128254]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Department considers whether the implications and effects of subsidiarity are relevant in respect of each proposal that falls under the remit of the UK parliamentary scrutiny procedures. The Department provides Parliament with a concise assessment of whether the Government believe the proposal in question is justified in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the EC Treaty.
The Department's policy is to consider proportionality as an integral part of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). All proposed legislation is examined to ensure that the approach—both in negotiation and final implementation, is appropriate to the risk posed, and that costs are identified and minimised wherever possible.