Mr. W. E. Garrettasked the Prime Minister what action he is taking to reduce the burden of form-filling on small firms.
§ The Prime MinisterI have asked all Ministers in charge of Departments to carry out a comprehensive review of both statistical forms and administrative forms that affect small firms.
The review of statistical forms will cover all regular statistical surveys that include small firms, with a view to reducing their number, frequency and degree of detail. This review will be subject to central control, will produce results quickly and will have covered the whole field within one year.
Administrative forms present a different kind of problem. They cannot be considered in isolation from the policies and 606W procedures from which they stem. But the number of forms must be kept to a minimum; where a form has to be used, it should be as uncomplicated and straightforward as possible.
In each Department a junior Minister will be responsible for supervising these reviews and for ensuring that proper attention is paid to the need to limit the burdens which statistical and administrative forms place on small firms. A regular report on administrative procedures will be made to the Under-Secretary of State for Industry with special responsibility for small firms. In addition, the small firms division of the Department of Industry will be identifying particular problems in this area and pursuing them with the Government Department or agency concerned.