HC Deb 12 March 1952 vol 497 cc143-4W
Sir W. Smithers

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many Statutory Rules and Regulations were in operation at the latest convenient date; and if he will take steps to reduce this number so that the law of supply and demand can operate freely.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Records of Statutory Rules and Orders and Statutory Instruments are not kept in a form enabling the information for which my hon. Friend asks to be given without the expenditure of much time and labour. I am, however, glad to be able to tell my hon. Friend that in Volume XXV of "Statutory Rules and Orders and Statutory Instruments Revised," which will be published in the near future, there will be found a numerical list of Instruments made under powers contained in legislation of a permanent nature (excluding Instruments which are local in character), showing in Part I those in force on 31st December, 1948.

In Part II of this list will be found the Instruments made between 1st January, 1949, and 31st December, 1951. There will in addition be a table showing (among other things) which Instruments have been revoked or have become spent between these latter dates. An index of all these Instruments and details of the powers under which they were made will be found in "Guide to Government Orders," which will be published about April next and which will record the law as at 31st December, 1951.