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CABINET OFFICE
KPMG
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the services that KPMG have performed for his Department (a) since 1 May 1997 and (b) in the corresponding period prior to 1 May 1997, indicating the remuneration made in each case. [72003]
Mr. Kilfoyle [holding answer on 22 February 1999]: The information requested for the period before 1 May 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Since 1 May 1997, KPMG have provided the following services to the Cabinet Office, its Agencies and COI:
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There is no charge to the Cabinet Office for the services at items 1 and 2 above.
The then Overseas Development Administration reimbursed the Cabinet Office the full cost of item 3.
The total cost since 1 May 1997 of items 3 to 7 is £151,663, including VAT.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government have taken to give priority to their better regulation policy. [71941]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 21 October 1998, Official Report, column 1152.
In addition, the Better Regulation Task Force is currently reviewing the role of regulation in relation to productivity, the operation of fit person regimes, the applicability of self-regulation, and law on anti-discrimination and enforcement practice. The productivity review was first announced in the pre-Budget Statement of 3 November 1998, Official Report, columns 681-702. The Task Force will shortly offer initial findings on the impact of regulations on business start-up, success and growth and will publish full reports on all reviews by the summer.
We continue to work actively with our European partners to ensure further progress towards effective regulation across Europe.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with businesses with regard to improving the clarity of regulations. [71881]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
We are working with others to help business to understand and comply with regulations and to ensure constructive and consistent enforcement. We aim to make the regulatory system more transparent, accessible and helpful. The Access Business group of departmental Ministers, local government and business is looking at a number of issues, including Direct Access Government, which provides business and the self-employed with 24-hour access to regulatory guidance and forms via the Internet.
The Enforcement Concordat sets out for businesses, and society in general, what they can expect of enforcers. Enforcers will give to business clear explanations of what they need to do and by when, opportunities to resolve differences before enforcement action is taken (unless immediate action is required), and an explanation of their rights of appeal. There are now 88 local authorities in England and Wales and 19 in Scotland who have signed up to the Concordat.
My Department has actively promoted the setting up of local business partnerships between business and enforcement communities. These are designed to maximise regulatory understanding and compliance at least burden.
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Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to ensure that regulations are enforced consistently across the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [71882]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Failure by a Member State to enforce adequate Community legislation is itself a breach of Community law. As such, it is primarily a matter for the European Commission. Where the UK becomes aware of such a breach, we can draw it to the attention of the Commission. Direct action by the UK can be taken by the UK pursuant to Article 170 TEC. Wider political, policy or legal concerns would influence whether such action would be appropriate in any particular case.
In the area of the Single Market, we have a unit in the Department of Trade and Industry (Action Single Market) which co-ordinates complaints from UK companies and seeks bilaterally with the Member State in question and with the Commission to remove obstacles to provision of goods or services in that Member State.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government have taken to improve regulatory impact assessment procedures. [71883]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
As part of their Better Regulation Initiative, the Government want to encourage good practice at all stages of regulatory work.
Last August, the Better Regulation Unit published new guidance to help Departments in applying the Task Force's principles of good regulation and in assessing the impact of regulatory proposals.
The publication of the Guide also heralds the introduction of a more comprehensive system of regulatory reporting. Every Department will be required to publish an account (in their Departmental Reports in March this year) of their regulatory activity with examples of how they have improved the quality and effectiveness of regulation through the application of the Task Force's principles.
Almost all Departments have now received training on the new Guidance, with some Departments setting up their own training programmes.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what rules and regulations the Government have (a) abolished and (b) simplified since 1 May 1997 in order to reduce costs imposed on businesses. [72075]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The Cabinet Office has been informed of 74 amending or repealing regulations made between 1 May 1997 and 31 December 1998 which resulted in compliance cost savings to business and others. A list of these has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to prevent the goldplating of EU laws by member states. [71942]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Over-implementation of EC legislation--goldplating--may amount to a breach of Community law. If it does, it is primarily a matter for the European Commission. Where the UK becomes aware of such a
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breach, we can draw it to the attention of the Commission. Direct action by the UK can be taken by the UK pursuant to Article 170 TEC. Wider political, policy or legal concerns would influence whether such action would be appropriate in any particular case.
The Government are committed to ensuring that departments do not add any unnecessary measures--goldplating--when implementing EC legislation into UK domestic law.
Mr. Townend:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact that asylum seekers, both legal and illegal, have made on levels of employment and unemployment. [72302]
Mr. Blunkett:
No such assessment has been made.
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to extend the post-16 student support provision pilots onto a national basis; and if he will make a statement. [72051]
Mr. Mudie:
The Education Maintenance Allowance pilots will run in 15 pilot Local Education Authorities across England from September 1999. We intend at this stage to run the pilots for three years, covering two cohorts. We will be evaluating the pilots closely from the start, and if the evaluation shows them to be successful in significantly raising post-16 participation, retention and achievement, we plan to introduce the Allowance nationally.
Mr. Lepper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on comparisons between class sizes for A level subjects in sixth form colleges and school sixth forms. [R] [72312]
Mr. Mudie:
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has neither commissioned nor evaluated research on this issue.
Mr. Lepper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress he has made on the equalisation of funding in relation to 16 to 19 year old students in (a) school sixth forms and (b) sixth form colleges. [R] [72311]
Mr. Mudie:
Future levels of funding available to school sixth forms and Further Education (FE) sector colleges, including sixth form colleges, for their 16-19 students will reflect the outcome of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review and local authorities' decisions on the level of spending they devote to schools from their overall spending settlement. The differential between school and FE sector unit funding is eased by the relaxation of the required efficiency gain in the FE sector in 1999-2000 as announced in December following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
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1. Seminar on cross-departmental working
2. Pilot study on the use of the Government Procurement Card in the central Cabinet Office
3. Development of IS strategy for the Government of Barbados
4. Secondment to the Better Regulation Unit
5. Internal audit needs assessment for TBA
6. Assistance with TBA's Year 2000 contingency strategy
7. Internal audit service to CCTA.
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