§ Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997. [149336]
§ Malcolm WicksThe Department for Work and Pensions actively promotes the better regulation agenda and the use of sunsetting where appropriate.
958WThe Regulatory Impact Assessment guidance 'Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment' advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development, and gives specific circumstances where sunsetting maybe appropriate.
No Acts for which DWP is responsible containing a sunset clause have been passed since the Department was formed in June 2001.
For most of the Department's business, sunsetting would not be appropriate. For example where primary legislation establishing a benefit or other scheme is drafted on the basis that it will last indefinitely and the details will be set out in secondary legislation, it would normally be inconsistent to time limit this.