§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will publish the response of the Government to the recommendations contained in the report of the interdepartmental review team into local government enforcement. [20824]
§ Mr. FreemanI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 20 December 1995,Official Report, column 1217.
In that reply I referred to a guide to good practice to be produced by the local authority associations. This was launched on 31 January 1996, entitled "Regulation: A Guide to Good Practice in Local Government". Copies of the guide will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. The guide takes forward a number of the recommendations of the review.
I also refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Mr. Deva) on 11 March 1996, Official Report, columns 464–65, which demonstrates the progress that we have made on enforcement more generally. In particular we published a draft statutory instrument containing a model appeal. The draft instrument will also require enforcers to give reasons for taking action, to explain how an appeal can be made and to give business a chance to make representations unless immediate action is necessary. These latter rights have already been applied to health and safety regulations and will shortly be applied to environmental standards, food safety and building regulations, with a range of consumer affairs legislation to follow.