HL Deb 06 February 2002 vol 631 cc102-3WA
Baroness Pitkeathley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When their regulatory reform ad ion plan will he published, as promised by the Prime Minister at the Confederation of British Industry Annual Conference on 5 November 2001. [HL2652]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

The Government have today published their regulatory reform action plan. This fulfils a commitment given in July 2001 to produce a list of reforms, including those that could he delivered through the new streamlined process under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001.

This action plan contains 63 new proposals for regulatory reform orders. It is also wide-ranging, covering reform at all levels, across all sectors and by all routes and bringing together over 260 proposals for change that will benefit businesses, charities, the voluntary and wider public sectors and the individual citizen.

The Government are committed to better regulation. This involves legislating only where necessary and in the most efficient way and deregulating and simplifying existing legislation wherever possible. The action plan brings together our proposals for deregulation and better regulation.

The plan represents a beginning, and We Government will report on progress. In the plan we also ask people to come forward with detailed suggestions for what more could be done to reduce bureaucratic burdens and to simplify legislation.

Copies of the plan are available from the Libraries of both Houses.