HL Deb 27 October 1994 vol 558 cc47-8WA
Baroness Hooper

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, under the terms of Clause 34 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill, the Secretary of State could reverse an order made under subsection (3).

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)

The Secretary of State would have the power, under subsection (5) of the clause, to vary an order made under subsection (3). This would, however, be subject to the provisions in subsection (7), as amended at Third Reading, requiring the Secretary of State to be satisfied that it "will still be the case that less of a burden is imposed on the carrying on of business than was imposed before the replacement". It would therefore only be possible for the Secretary of State to reverse the effects of an order made under subsection (3) to the extent that he was satisfied that the resulting burden on business would still be less than it was under the original order.