Deregulation (Hansard, 6 November 1995)

§ 38. Mr. Denham
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress towards deregulation. [39725]

§ Mr. Freeman
Among recent initiatives, we have agreed to launch a joint initiative with the French Government to consider the reduction of regulatory burdens on small businesses.

§ Mr. Steen
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 27 March,Official Report, column 410, what progress is being made towards realising the target of repealing those regulations identified as unnecessary burdens to business; how many of these will be repealed by the end of the year; and if he will make a statement. [41574]

§ Mr. Freeman
Over 1,000 regulations have been targeted by Departments for repeal or amendment to remove unnecessary burdens on business and we are on target to have dealt with over half of those by the end of the year.

§ Dr. Spink
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new deregulation initiatives he is considering. [39726]

§ Mr. Freeman
With the help of the deregulation task force, we continue to identify changes to existing rules and requirements to reduce the burdens they impose without removing necessary protections. Particular areas the task force will be focusing on over the next few months include the labour market, planning, building regulations, financial services, the health sector and different approaches to regulation. We are also working to make enforcement provisions fairer, more transparent and more consistent, including use of the new powers in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994. In order to ensure that new requirements are introduced only where they are really needed, Ministers have agreed to certify when regulation is brought forward that the regulation strikes an appropriate balance between cost and benefit.

§ Mr. Steen
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the rules and regulations he proposes to repeal or amend by means of a reference to the Deregulation Committee before the end of 1995, and if he will make a statement. [41546]

§ Mr. Freeman
The Cabinet Office provides the Deregulation Committee with a monthly statement showing those deregulation proposals which are the subject of consultation and an indication of those which may be brought forward as draft proposals in the following two months. Copies of the October statement have been placed in the Vote Office.