HC Deb 20 July 1994 vol 247 c341W
Mr. Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his Department's contribution to the deregulation programme.

Mr. Tim Smith

Northern Ireland Departments are playing a full part in the deregulation initiative and have already made significant progress in the following areas:

  1. (i) Enforcement Codes
    • Twenty three Enforcement Bodies in Northern Ireland have produced codes of practice outlining in simple language the standards of service businesses should expect from them and detailing clear complaints procedures in the event of dissatisfaction with the service received.
  2. (ii) Review of "Non-parity" Legislation
    • A review has been conducted of the 30 items of legislation unique to Northern Ireland which impact on business. As a result of this review, it was decided to revoke five of these items.
  3. (iii) Deregulation and Contracting-Out Bill
    • The Deregulation and Contracting-Out Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, includes four specific measures which have been extended to Northern Ireland.
    • The remaining measures in the Bill which require action in Northern Ireland will be contained in a composite Northern Ireland Deregulation and Contracting-Out Order-in-Council.