§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many regulatory impact statements have been brought to his attention in the last 12 months, with particular reference to the Evaluation of Regulatory Impact Assessments Compendium Report 2003–04, March 2004, pages 25–26. [171610]
§ Mr. AlexanderThe Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) is a paragraph that can be included in the Cabinet paper or ministerial letter to colleagues seeking collective agreement to a proposal that impacts on business. The Small Business Service can have its view recorded in both the Regulatory Impact Assessment and the RIS. Such correspondence is routinely sent to all members of the relevant Cabinet Committee. As has been the practice under previous Administrations, Cabinet Committee correspondence is exempt from disclosure under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. All Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) must include an assessment of the impact of the proposal on small firms' except where the proposal solely affects the public services.