§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many regulations made by him or his predecessors have been repealed in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonThe information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. My Department is responsible for repealing and replacing several regulations each year concerning matters such as fee levels and compensation limits as well as looking at unnecessarily burdensome or outdated legislation.
We are firmly committed to reducing the burdens on business, which is reflected in my Department's aim of supporting economic growth by promoting a competitive, efficient and flexible labour market. We have made great progress in this area. In 1989 for example we abolished the national dock labour scheme, thereby eliminating restrictive working practices in the docks. The Employment Act 1989 removed a number of unnecessary measures which served as constraints on employment, in particular inappropriate barriers to the employment of women and young people. The Employment Act 1990 outlawed the pre-entry closed shop.
The Health and Safety Executive continues to replace over-detailed and inflexible health and safety legislation with more modern and comprehensive provisions. A prime example is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 which replaced some 350 individual regulations with an up-to-date framework of regulation for the protection of employee health.
All new legislative proposals, including those from the European Commission, will continue to be assessed for their impact on business and we shall ensure that burdens on business are minimised where possible.