§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, what further plans he has to remove unnecessary regulations on business.
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansWe are continuing our efforts to reduce unnecessary burdens on business. Latest developments include
The Deregulation and Contracting Out Act received the Royal Assent on 3 November. We shall be bringing forward the first orders under the deregulation order-making power after the new special parliamentary arrangements for their scrutiny have been put in place.The deregulation task force under Francis Maude is active on a number of fronts to reduce regulatory burdens on business. In Europe an EC expert group is looking critically at the impact of EC and national legislation on competitiveness and employment. The United Kingdom and Germany have also set up a high-level group of businessmen to scrutinise EC regulations and to stimulate specific deregulatory measures in Europe.