§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to her Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying(a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each. [39126]
§ Mr. MorleyIn answer to part(a) two tables are available in the Library of the House. The first table shows all directives agreed in the UK in the years 1998–2001, for which DEFRA and its predecessors took the lead, and which have since been implemented. The second table shows council regulations agreed in the years 1998–2001 for which DEFRA and its predecessors took the lead. A number of regulations agreed during this time have since expired—these are not included. The list has been trawled from a variety of sources and it is possible that a small number of regulations may have fallen through the net. Regulations have a direct effect in the laws of member states and do not usually require Governments to take action to implement them. The table does not show commission regulations. Details of all regulations and directives agreed can be found on the Eur-Lex database available on the European Union's website.
The Department does not hold information in the form requested in part (b). This information could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.
For part (c), Departments are required to produce regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for proposals, including those originating in European legislation, likely 936W to impose significant costs on business, charities or voluntary organisations. Copies of these are placed in the Library of the House.