§ Mr. SteenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated annual saving to business from the Deregulation (Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials) Order 1996. [31385]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe burdens by this order fall both on suppliers of fillings for beds, furniture and toys and on the manufacturers of such items. In view of the diversity of these industries, it has not been possible to construct reliable estimates of the total direct and indirect cost savings the order will achieve. However, one firm, which is the biggest single producer of fillings in the UK, estimates that the cost of testing alone to demonstrate compliance with the rag flock legislation is in its case £4,000 each year. Despite the difficulties associated with determining total figures for the whole industry, informal inquiries have suggested that direct cost savings could be, for the fillings industry alone, over £100,000, for each year after the burdens are removed. Total savings to suppliers and manufacturers should therefore be well in excess of this figure.