§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reductions were achieved in the compliance costs of regulation administered by his Department and its public bodies for the last year for which data is available; what mechanisms exist for monitoring the post-implementation cost of such regulation; and if he has established targets for reduction in the compliance costs of regulation administered by his Department and its public bodies. [92315]
372W
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 26 July 1999]: Details of regulations which imposed compliance costs on, or achieved compliance savings to, business are published in the Department's regulatory impact assessments and laid in both Houses. Summaries are published in the six monthly Command Paper, and are available on a monthly basis on the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit's web site.
Regulations are regularly reviewed.
We have not set an arbitrary target for reducing the compliance costs of regulations. However, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, we assess the risks, costs and benefits of any regulatory proposal which has an impact on business before taking it forward. We always try to keep the burden imposed on business to the minimum necessary.
The Department published details on the quality and quantity of its regulatory activity in the departmental annual Report.