HC Deb 25 November 1987 vol 123 cc208-9W
7. Mr. Grylls

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his Department's deregulation initiatives.

Mr. Maude

The Government are committed to reducing the burdens on business — particularly small businesses — from legislative and administrative regulation. Prime responsibility for that task lies with individual departments, but work is co-ordinated by the enterprise and deregulation unit, now located in the Department of Trade and Industry. We aim to ensure that regulation which is unnecessary is avoided or removed; that essential regulation is made less burdensome; and that proper account of the cost to business is taken in all relevant policy decisions. My Department's own activities are of course carefully scrutinised within that programme.

Miss Emma Nicholson

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's deregulation initiative.

Mr. Maude

The Government's work to reduce the burdens imposed on business by legislative and administrative regulation, which is co-ordinated by the enterprise and deregulation unit in my Department, continues to make progress broadly as set out in the report to Parliament "Encouraging Enterprise" published in May this year.