§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make it his policy to include, a sunset clause in all new legislation unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause. [120861]
§ Mr. AlexanderThe Cabinet Office actively promotes the better regulation agenda and the use of sunsetting where appropriate.
28WOn 28 January 2003 we published the revised Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) guidance 'Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment'. It advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development and gives specific examples of where sunsetting may be appropriate.
However, Sunsetting will not always be appropriate. When we do regulate we aim to do so in a light touch way. We are not going to apologise for introducing the minimum wage, bringing in parental leave, giving millions of employees the right for the first time to paid holidays, or tackling discrimination.