§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the review of statutory powers to enter business premises has been completed; and if he will make a statement on its outcome.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe review of statutory powers to enter business premises which the Prime Minister announced on 7 December 1979 has now been completed by all Departments. As a result Ministers have recommended that 30 powers should be revoked and up to 63 modified. Most of these recommendations will be carried out in the normal course of departmental legislative programmes. I am satisfied that the remaining powers are necessary, are sufficiently circumscribed and contain adequate safeguards to ensure that they do not cause unwarranted intrusion into business premises. The scope for introducing more uniformity into the safeguards, possibly in the form of a coding practice, will be examined again in the light of the findings of the Keith committee130W on enforcement powers of the Revenue departments. Arrangements are being made to scrutinise centrally all future legislation containing powers of entry to ensure they do not impose an undue burden on business.