§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many criminal offences have been(a) created and (b) abolished by his Department since 1997. [55429]
§ Ruth KellyComprehensive information is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The principal item of legislation for which the Treasury has been responsible since 1997 is the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This created in the order of 35 criminal offences. However, in consequence of that Act much previous legislation was repealed, including the Insurance Companies Act 1982, the Financial Services Act 1986 and the Banking Act 1987, involving the abolition of at least 80 criminal offences.
In addition the Bank of England Act 1998 created four criminal offences.