§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requirements there are for officials in his Department to introduce a compliance cost assessment for all rules and regulations coming before him and his Ministers; and how many compliance cost assessments have been issued in his Department in the first three months of this year. [19356]
§ Sir George Young[holding answer 18 April 1995]: The Chancellor's departments issued 10 compliance cost assessments in the first three months of 1995. Officials will introduce a compliance cost assessment in all the circumstances set out by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in his answer of 19 April at column 190.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many rules and regulations he repealed in the first three months of 1995; and how many new rules and regulations were introduced in that period by way of statutory instruments, motions or orders. [19372]
§ Sir George Young[holding answer 18 April 1995]: Thirteen rules and regulations were repealed in the first three months of 1995. In the same period, 31 rules and regulations were introduced, not including commencement orders, Orders in Council and instruments not subject to parliamentary procedure. However, most of the new regulations were deregulatory in nature: for example, two orders widened the range of activities exempt from the Financial Services Act 1986. Only one introduced new requirements with any costs for business, and even these costs are small.
Of the 31 regulations:
- —10 replaced existing regulations;
- —15 amended existing regulations;
- —6 were new regulations.