§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has carried out any studies into the effects of Government regulations on productivity improvements in manufacturing industry and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggMy Department co-ordinates the Government's deregulation initiative, under which individual Departments review existing regulatory require-ments and scrutinise new proposals in order to minimise any unnecessary constraints these may impose on business performance. In assessing the costs to business of complying with new regulations, Departments have particular regard to the impact on the management resources of small firms.