§ 17. Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his proposals for reducing the burdens on small businesses. [86511]
§ Mr. WillsMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently announced a number of deregulatory measures which will benefit small business
the draft National Minimum Wage regulations were amended to reduce record keeping requirements;supplementary guidance will be produced on the Working Time Regulations to make it clear that for the vast majority of British businesses, existing documentation and systems already meet the record-keeping requirements;we will consider using sunset clauses in some future regulations causing them to lapse after a fixed term unless renewed; and in addition I have today published a consultation paper which sets out our proposals for a new service to help small employers get to grips with running a payroll.These measures will benefit thousands of businesses, in particular small businesses, and significantly reduce their costs. My right hon. Friend has made clear his intention to announce further measures to reduce burdens on business over the coming weeks.