HC Deb 07 February 1996 vol 271 cc213-4W
Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on which occasions in the last three years officials have vetoed draft EC legislation on the grounds that a fiche d'impact had not been correctly prepared. [13639]

Mr. Forth

The correct preparation of fiches d'impact is a very important part of our consideration of proposals for European Community legislation. It is one of the factors taken into account when Ministers consider the United Kingdom's negotiating position on a particular proposal.

Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how he ensures that the negotiating brief for his officials discussing EU legislation takes fully into account the need to minimise the burdens on United Kingdom business. [13708]

Mr. Forth

Guidance on how officials are to apply deregulatory principles when negotiating EC regulations is contained in the booklet, "Getting a Good Deal in Europe". This guidance has been supplemented by the recent publication of official guidance on the preparation of compliance cost assessments, which stresses that likely burdens on business highlighted by UK compliance cost assessments of EC proposals should be integral to the UK's negotiating strategy. Copies of both pieces of guidance are in the Library.