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Government Policy (Co-ordination and Presentation)
3. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what staffing resources he has within his Department in order to fulfil his duties of co-ordination and presentation of Government policy. [15239]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I have the resources that I need to carry out these duties.
Mr. Mackinlay: Does the Deputy Prime Minister not understand that many people would consider his Department to be over-resourced for someone who has a sinecure in the evening of his political life? May I tax his communication skill and ask him what he would say to the countless thousands of men and women who, through no fault of their own, had to endure the trauma of bankruptcy and were unable to get credit from the banks, and who see hatched in Downing street a rescue plan involving the National Westminster bank, Midland bank, Barclays bank, Trustee Savings bank and UCB to save the Government? Is he not aware that the people listening to the story will consider it grossly unfair that there is one law for Conservative Members of Parliament and the Government and another for people struggling to maintain businesses in which they have invested both their lives and their homes?
The Deputy Prime Minister: The whole House, having listened to that extraordinary outburst, will draw one clear conclusion: they would rather me half asleep than the hon. Gentleman wide awake.
Mr. Caborn: When he is co-ordinating policy, particularly on late payments for small businesses, can the Deputy Prime Minister tell us the Government's position
on the Interest on Debt Bill--a private Member's Bill, which was introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones)? Are the Government indifferent to that Bill?
The Deputy Prime Minister: No; it is an important issue. As the hon. Gentleman will know, we addressed and answered the question that he raised in the previous Government announcement on the subject. We made it clear that we are not at the moment persuaded of the advantages of a statutory interest rate on outstanding debts, because although some companies would gain from that, some companies would suffer. Therefore, we decided to back a number of initiatives, including support for the CBI code of practice and the encouragement of Government Departments to pay their bills rapidly, which we thought more likely to address the issue. We also made it clear that if our proposals did not deliver the improvements that we sought, we would return to the matter, and that we will do.
Deregulation
4. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made in the Government's deregulation initiative. [15240]
5. Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress of the deregulation initiative. [15241]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Roger Freeman): By the end of last year, we had already repealed or amended more than 500 regulations, with another 500 in process. The first deregulation orders under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 have now passed into law and there is a steady flow of new orders. We are also making useful progress in our efforts to encourage deregulation in Europe.
Mr. Evennett: I thank my right hon. Friend for that response and welcome the Government's initiatives to date on deregulation. There is, however, much more to be done. Does he share the concern of business men in my borough of Bexley that the red tape and bureaucracy emanating from Brussels need to be curtailed even more?
Mr. Freeman: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I can confirm that, at the Internal Market Council informal meeting in Rome over the weekend, a clear majority of the member nations of the European Union agreed that greater priority should be given not only to reviewing existing European legislation but to ensuring that new regulations meet the simple test of being fewer, better and simpler. I am glad to tell the House that in Rome there was agreement to review existing legislation on machine standards, food hygiene and public procurement.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: Is there not a case for regulating for greater disclosure in the case of Campbell's Soups, which refuses to recognise trade unions? In the past five years, there have been six major scalding incidents in its two major factories, and one death last year. Surely such information should be made available
to the great supermarket chains--for example, Tesco, Sainsbury and Safeway--which buy its products. Indeed, should not the consumer know the truth?
Mr. Freeman: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising the issue of health and safety legislation. I am glad to say that the Government have already agreed that 40 per cent. of existing health and safety legislation should be repealed. That is a start. There is more to be done. I am glad to tell the hon. Gentleman that, in relation to Campbell's Soups and every other American company that has operations in the United Kingdom, the Department of the Environment recently requested all health and safety officials to enforce the law in a more uniform, user-friendly and sensible fashion. I welcome that.
Mr. Wilkinson: Following the European Union ministerial meeting in Rome, can my right hon. Friend reassure the House that EU directives and, in particular, EU health and safety regulations, will not be used to sabotage Her Majesty's Government's opt-out from the social chapter, and that, if the European Court decides against Her Majesty's Government in regard to the working-time directive, the United Kingdom will take no notice of that adjudication?
Mr. Freeman: Yes, that is our intention.
Mr. Pike: Does the Minister accept that most of what the Select Committee on Deregulation has dealt with so far has no significant implications for this country? The implications for greyhound betting and the possibility of a £10 rather than a £4 payout on a one-armed bandit in a pub or arcade will not contribute to the well-being of the nation, even under the Tories.
Mr. Freeman: The hon. Gentleman is being unnecessarily modest. A great many draft orders are being prepared, which I expect to be of more consequence, including a proposal to save money on the circulation of used cheques between banks once they have been drawn and credited. There is much more to be done, but the process has started. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman and to other members of the Deregulation Committee for their hard work.
Mr. Nicholls: Does my right hon. Friend agree that a substantial contribution would be made to reregulation if the country took on itself the social chapter, recognition of trade unions, workers councils and the like? Does he agree that business men who favour deregulation should bear in mind the fact that the Labour party would throw the process into reverse by introducing those European measures?
Mr. Freeman: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. One reason why our unemployment rate--measured on a basis consistent with that in other European countries--is now broadly the same as Germany's, but falling, is the fact that businesses in this country need not shoulder the substantial on-costs on labour rates borne by Germany, Italy and France.
Civil Service Pension Scheme
6. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to contract out the principal civil service pension scheme. [15242]
Mr. Willetts: I intend shortly to lay before both Houses an order, under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, to open up the administration of the principal civil service pension scheme to the private sector. The pension entitlements of civil servants will not be affected in any way.
Mr. Cunningham: Can the Deputy Prime Minister say what discussions he has had with the Paymaster General on the implications of the proposed privatisation--
Madam Speaker: Order. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is aware that he is not allowed to read out questions during Question Time.
Mr. Cunningham: What discussions has the Deputy Prime Minister had with the Paymaster General regarding the implications for the Paymaster General's office of the proposed privatisation of the civil service pension scheme? What objections has he received from teachers about the privatisation of their pension scheme, particularly teachers in Coventry?
Mr. Willetts: What we are talking about is the possible contracting out of the administration of schemes. Many letters that we have received from teachers and other organisations have reflected a serious misunderstanding of the position, and a fear that their pension entitlements will be affected in some way. I am pleased to assure the House that there will be no change in the substance of civil servants' or teachers' pension entitlements.
Mr. Dicks: Do the new arrangements mean that civil servants will have to contribute to their pensions for a change, like the rest of us?
Mr. Willetts: The changes are in the administration of civil service pension arrangements. They do not change either the pension entitlements of civil servants or the way in which they are financed. I assure my hon. Friend, however, that they contribute to the Government's overall public expenditure objectives. Whenever we have contracted out public sector services, we have achieved an average saving of 21 per cent.
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