§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to his oral answer of 2 May,Official Report, columns 167–68, what progress is being made towards repealing those regulations identified as unnecessary burdens to business; [41569]
(2) if a compliance cost assessment has been completed on each regulation to be repealed; and what is the estimated saving to (a) small businesses and (b) the public funds from the repeal of each regulation. [41570]
§ The Prime MinisterWe have identified over 1,000 regulations for repeal or amendment and are on target to have dealt with over half of those by the end of the year. The requirement to carry out a compliance cost assessment applies to regulations imposing additional burdens on business while the programme of repeals and amendments is concerned with reducing the burden. However, to take an example, simplification of the food temperature control regulations will help small businesses and generate savings of about £40 million a year for the industry as a whole without removing any necessary public health protection.