HC Deb 25 January 1996 vol 270 cc321-2W
Mr. David Nicholson

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set out the arrangements for compliance cost assessments. [12328]

Mr. Freeman

Compliance cost assessments are a vital tool for helping to minimise the costs to business arising from new legislation. Under the Government's deregulation initiative, I am today publishing a revised guidance booklet on compliance cost assessment and am arranging for copies to be placed in the House Libraries. The new booklet includes: the requirement for Ministers to personally sign-off all CCAs and to certify that the regulatory proposal strikes an appropriate balance between cost and benefit. the requirement for a CCA to be prepared and published with all legislative proposals presented to Parliament. extension of the requirement to complete a CCA to regulatory proposals which impact on charities and the voluntary sector. the arrangements for carrying out the small business litmus test. the parliamentary scrutiny arrangements for CCAs dealing with EC legislative proposals.

I have also presented to Parliament today a Command Paper listing 75 CCAs published between 1 January 1995 and 30 June 1995. Copies of the CCAs listed are available in the House Libraries. This is the third such Command Paper and further Command Papers listing CCAs published in the preceding six-month period will he published at six-monthly intervals.