§ Lord O'Haganasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the competence of the Department of Trade and Industry's deregulation unit extends to the social action programme of the European Communities; and whether they intend to make public their proposal in this connection.
§ The Parliamentary Under·Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)The central deregulation unit in the Department of Trade and Industry, together with departmental deregulation units in other departments, is concerned with the burden of all regulations which impact upon business, whether such regulation are of UK or EC origin. These deregulation units support Ministers in driving forward the review of regulations to ensure abolition of those which are unnecessary and to minimise the burden on business of necessary regulation. This process includes measures under the social action programme.
55WAIn respect of EC regulations in general, the Government have also established a separate review aiming to recommend improvements to procedures to be followed in negotiating EC law, transposing EC legislation into UK law and in enforcing UK law. This review will include measures arising out of the social action programme.
The scrutiny team will report to my right honourable friend the President of the Board of Trade on 27th May. It will be for him, in consultation with his Cabinet colleagues, to decide whether a report is published.