HC Deb 21 October 1999 vol 336 cc648-9W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the workings of the Enforcement Concordat. [94550]

Marjorie Mowlam

The Enforcement Concordat sets out a blueprint for fair, practical and consistent enforcement. It has been developed in consultation with all the key stakeholders in the enforcement process. The Concordat policies and procedures therefore represent a consensus about best practice in regulatory enforcement. The Concordat provides a balanced approach to enforcement based on the philosophy that enforcers should work with businesses who wish to comply while at the same time taking firm action against those who deliberately flout the law or act irresponsibly. The organisations that have adopted it have provided a clear statement to business and others being regulated about what they can expect from enforcement officers. I commend the Enforcement Concordat to all local and central government enforcement officers.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures are in place to measure the impact of the Enforcement Concordat. [94555]

Marjorie Mowlam

The adoption, implementation and effectiveness of the Enforcement Concordat are all monitored.

The Cabinet Office keeps a record of all the authorities, agencies and other bodies that have adopted the Concordat. Individual implementation plans are sent to the Cabinet Office or the relevant local authority associations. Those plans should include arrangements for performance appraisal. The Concordat is still relatively new but, once arrangements have been operational for a year, individual annual reports will be submitted following which the Cabinet Office will review the Concordat's effectiveness. There should be sufficient data to begin the first review next spring.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what are the aims and objectives of the Enforcement Concordat. [94551]

Marjorie Mowlam

The aims and objectives of the Enforcement Concordat are to achieve widespread adoption by both national and local enforcement bodies of simple, business-friendly enforcement procedures.