Previous Section Index Home Page

6 Oct 2008 : Column 273W—continued


Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 6 October 2008:

£

2005

381,600

2006

381,600

2007

381,600

2008 to July

222,600


EU Law

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department are wholly or mainly tasked with the negotiation, implementation or the administration of EU legislation and consequent policies. [222277]

Mr. Thomas: This Government are firmly committed to the importance of the EU in delivering on 21st century challenges. The EU is of central importance to the work of HM Government across all Departments. It is relevant to a wide range of policy areas, and to the work of many Government officials.

Within BERR, officials working specifically on EU business total around 180. In addition, there are a number of seconded national experts working on priority policy areas in the European Institutions in Brussels and on occasion other EU member states, usually around a dozen individuals. A fuller breakdown of the figures as requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Family Businesses

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to reduce the regulatory burdens on family businesses. [216501]

Mr. McFadden: The Government's plan to reduce regulatory burdens apply to all businesses including family businesses. Administrative burdens arising as a result of regulation can disproportionately impact on smaller firms.


6 Oct 2008 : Column 274W

Family run businesses tend to be small (10-49 employees) micro (1-9 employees) or have no employees. “The larger a business is the less likely it is to be family owned”(1)

On 12 March 2008, the Government published a new Enterprise Strategy. In the 2008 Enterprise Strategy, the Government committed to a new approach to the way that new and existing regulation applies to firms that employ fewer than 20 people; this includes considering whether small firms can be exempt from requirements without affecting essential protections—or if there is scope for simplified inspection, enforcement and guidance. A risk based approach to regulation will help minimise costs for small businesses.

Within the Enterprise Strategy, Government also announced that it would consult on the introduction of a system of regulatory budgets. At present there are limited controls on new regulatory proposals and there is no overall method for the Government to directly manage regulatory costs. A regulatory budget would provide such a mechanism. The Government is currently carrying out its consultation on this proposal.

In June 2008 The Small Firms Impact Test (SFIT) became a mandatory part of the Impact Assessment (IA) process when a Government proposal imposes or reduces costs on business. The Government's manifesto commitment in 2001 ensured the 'Think Small First' principle was followed as part of UK policy development. The SFIT is intended to establish impact on small businesses and how it is possible to minimise the impact of the requirements on small firms through flexibilities such as exemptions, simplified inspection, less frequent reporting for businesses with fewer than 20 employees.

More generally, Government undertook an exercise, supported by industry, to measure the administrative burdens that impact businesses of all sizes as a result of complying with regulations. Upon the completion of this exercise, 25 per cent. net targets by 2010 were set to reduce this burden.

In December 2007, 19 Simplification Plans were published, showing more than 700 measures to reduce the burdens of complying with regulations. Over 280 of these measures have already been delivered saving businesses £800 million per year.

Examples include:

Copies of these plans are available online at:

2007 Simplification Plans

The following 19 departments, regulators and agencies have produced Simplification Plans with a 25 per cent. or above reduction target.


6 Oct 2008 : Column 275W

In addition, two plans have been published without a target.

Herbal Medicine: EC Law

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment the Better Regulation Executive has made of the impact of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive on (a) manufacturers, (b) retailers and (c) consumers of specialist herbal remedies; what estimate he has made of the effect of the Directive on the number of herbal remedies on the market; and if he will make a statement. [221881]

Mr. McFadden: It is the responsibility of the relevant Government Department or agency to assess the impact of new policies, through the publication of an impact assessment.


6 Oct 2008 : Column 276W

In October 2005, a detailed impact assessment (IA) was conducted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to determine the impact of the directive on various stakeholders and sectors, including manufacturers, retailers and consumers. This is available on

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Better Regulation Executive was consulted by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency about the consistency with the principles of good regulation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive; and what assessment he has made of whether those principles are met by the Directive. [221883]

Mr. McFadden: In introducing the new legislation, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency consulted publicly and across government, including with the Better Regulation Executive (then in Cabinet Office) and the Better Regulation Task Force (BRTF). At the time, officials from both organisations would have considered whether proposals were in line with better regulation principles.

Industrial Disputes

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many working days were lost as a result of strikes in (a) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall, (b) the South West region and (c) England in each year since 1979. [222403]

Mr. McFadden: Data on days lost to industrial action are collected by the Office for National Statistics only at Government office region level. Therefore information on days lost relating to parliamentary constituencies is outside of the scope of data collected.

The available data for days lost to industrial action in the Government office region of South West England and for England as a whole for each year since 1979 are shown in the following table.


6 Oct 2008 : Column 277W

6 Oct 2008 : Column 278W
South West England UK total UK strikes which could not be disaggregated to GOR level( 1)

1979

2,423,000

23,803,000

29,474,000

1980

117,000

7,548,000

11,964,000

1981

171,000

3,305,000

4,266,000

1982

170,000

4,300,000

5,313,000

1983

88,000

3,013,000

3,754,000

1984

87,000

21,224,000

27,135,000

1985

87,000

4,741,000

6,402,000

1986

62,000

1,501,000

1,920,000

1987

204,000

2,802,000

3,546,000

1988

121,000

3,328,000

3,702,000

1989

181,000

3,244,000

4,128,000

1990

22,000

1,676,000

1,903,000

3,000

1991

11,000

604,000

761,000

1992

3,000

406,000

528,000

49,000

1993

5,000

193,000

649,000

309,000

1994

20,000

190,000

278,000

54,000

1995

10,000

301,000

415,000

23,000

1996

95,000

1,079,000

1,303,000

25,000

1997

900

148,100

235,000

17,800

1998

1,700

126,700

282,400

101,100

1999

3,400

119,400

241,800

67,400

2000

2,100

173,300

498,800

3,300

2001

17,100

381,900

525,100

48,000

2002

67,700

1,098,400

1,323,300

200

2003

14,600

324,100

499,100

9,100

2004

28,700

443,100

904,900

1,300

2005

2,800

123,400

157,400

4,500

2006

18,000

397,600

754,500

156,000

2007

59,400

768,400

1,041,100

96,900

(1) The figures are not included in either of the first two columns.
Notes:
1. Between 1979 and 1996 figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. From 1997 onwards, figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Next Section Index Home Page