1 Introduction
1. The Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Committee began its existence only at the beginning of the current
session, on 6 November 2007. It was formed in response to machinery
of government changes in June 2007 which replaced the then Department
of Trade and Industry with a new Department for Business, Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform (BERR), created "to give business a
strong voice at the heart of government".[1]
The new department has many of the core functions of the old
Department of Trade and Industry, although the science budget
and some aspects of innovation policy have been transferred to
the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
BERR retains its role in trade, although the Department for International
Development's role has increased in this area. The Department
retains responsibility for energy policy. It has gained responsibility
for Regulatory Reform, and sponsorship of the Better Regulation
Executive has been transferred to it from the Cabinet Office.
Although some responsibilities have been transferred away from
the Department it is clear that its core function as the department
for industry remains. The Prime Minister has described its task
as being to act as a conduit of businesses' legitimate concerns
"about a whole range of issues - the UK's skills base, translating
science into successful innovation, future transport infrastructure,
reliable and affordable energy, regulatory burdens of the planning
regime."[2] More details
about the new Department are given in paragraphs 18 to 20 below.
2. When the necessary Standing Order changes were
agreed on 25 July 2007, the House took account of the continuities
between the new department and the old, and provided that "all
proceedings of the Trade and Industry Committee in this Parliament
shall be deemed to have been proceedings of the Business, Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform Committee." This Report accordingly
treats the work of the Trade and Industry Committee from January
to November 2007 as if it formed part of the work of the current
Committee. As part of the Standing Order changes, the Committee
was reduced from 14 members to 11 members. There was a regrettable
and avoidable delay in the nomination of the new Committee which
caused considerable uncertainty and threatened to disrupt the
work of the Committee seriously. In the end the delay was only
of one week and only one evidence session was cancelled, but we
hope when this or other committees face similar changes in the
future such uncertainty will be avoided. In the event, all but
one of the new Committee were former members of the Trade and
Industry Committee, which means that our collective knowledge
remains, and the reduction in numbers may well enable us to function
more effectively in future. Nonetheless, we regret that valuable
colleagues are no longer members of the Committee, and put on
record our appreciation of the contributions made by Mr Peter
Bone, Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas, Judy Mallaber and Mr Rob Marris.[3]
3. During the year the Committees[4]
published 13 reports and held three 'one-off' evidence sessions,
in addition to work on continuing inquiries. Part of this work
was undertaken with the Defence, Foreign Affairs and International
Development Committees, and is described in more detail in paragraphs
24 and 25 below. The Trade and Industry Committee also appointed
a sub-committee to inquire into the Implementation of the Report
of the Women and Work Commission, and its report to the main
Committee awaits consideration by the new Committee. An outline
of the entire programme is set out in Table 1 below. Publication
details of our reports can be found in the list at the back of
this volume.
Table 1: Summary of the Committees' work in 2007
Subject | Evidence Sessions in 2007
| Outcome |
Local energy - turning consumers into producers
| See note | Report, January 2007
|
Post Office Network |
1 | Two reports, April 2007 and May 2007
|
Success and failure in the UK car manufacturing industry
| See note | Report, March 2007
|
The future of UK manufacturing (skills, UKTI and public procurement)
| 7 | Three reports, April 2007, May 2007 and November 2007
respectively
|
Trade with Brazil and Mercosur
| 3 | Report, July 2007
|
Recent Developments with Airbus
| 2 | Report, May 2007
|
Strategic Export Controls: 2007 Review
| 3 | Report, August 2007
(joint inquiry with Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees)
|
Europe moves East: The impact of the 'New' EU Member States on UK business
| 5 | Report, October 2007
|
The work of the Office of Fair Trading
| 2 | Report, October 2007
|
Implementation of the Report of the Women and Work Commission
| 5 | Report agreed by Sub-committee, to be agreed by full Committee
|
Ofcom Annual Plan 2007-08
| 1 | Evidence, April 2007
|
Industrial action at Royal Mail
| 1 | Evidence, October 2007
|
The work of the Minister for Trade and Investment
| 1 | Evidence, October 2007
|
The UK Construction Industry
| 4 | Inquiry to be continued in 2008
|
Trade with India: One year on
| 1 | Inquiry to be continued in 2008
|
Note - evidence for these reports taken in 2006
4. Our first task as a new committee was to consider
whether or not to continue with the programme established by the
former Trade and Industry Committee. We decided to continue with
its work, which included a major new inquiry into construction,
and inquiries into trade with Turkey; the higher value-added economy
and an update on progress in implementing the recommendations
of the Trade and Industry Committee's June 2006 Report on Trade
and Investment Opportunities with India.[5]
Since then we have added a review of the way in which the
Post Office closure programme has been implemented, and a wider
look at trade policy. We have sought evidence on these topics
and work will begin in 2008.
Working methods
5. The Trade and Industry Committee expected to keep
particular subjects under long-term review, and follow up its
inquiries. For example, its work on the Post Office and the Royal
Mail built on a series of reports published over at least a decade.
In addition, the Committee would take evidence to ensure that
it was up-to-date with particular topics, without necessarily
issuing a subsequent report. For example, we held an evidence
session with the Secretary of State on the industrial action at
Royal Mail.[6] We will
continue to take such a long view, and to monitor developments
in the light of previous work. This is true in other areas of
our work toothe Trade and Industry Committee took evidence
on the Energy White Paper in October 2006,[7]
and we will keep a watching brief on the Energy Bill, expected
in early 2008, during its course through Parliament.
6. We will also continue the previous Committee's
efforts to ensure that our work is focused on issues which matter
to business and the public. There were consultations with industry
representatives at the outset of the inquiry into manufacturing,
to make sure the terms of reference dealt with matters
which were of genuine concern. This interaction with witnesses
has continued, and the evidence sessions for our wide-ranging
inquiry into construction have been shaped by informal conversations
with witnesses to ensure that our staff are aware of which issues
they consider most important and can brief us accordingly. During
the year we introduced witness feedback forms, as part of a wider
initiative from the Liaison Committee. The feedback we have received
about our treatment of witnesses, the briefing they receive and
committee proceedings has been uniformly positive. Indeed, one
witness went so far as to say "From my perspective, it was
a valuable and well conducted session".
7. Our work is made easier by many people. We are
grateful to all those who give formal evidence, particularly those
for whom it is an unfamiliar experience. We also take this opportunity
to thank the Parliamentary Branch of the former Department of
Trade and Industry, now reformed in BERR, and the Department as
a whole. There are occasions when submissions are delayed, or
things go wrong in other ways, but it is a tribute to their efficiency
and the Department's engagement with our work, that, unlike many
other select committees, we almost invariably receive responses
to our reports within or close to the two-month deadline. We are
also extremely grateful to those who give informal briefings to
us or to the Committee staff, and to the many people who deal
with our visits in the United Kingdom and overseas. Such co-operation
is essential to our work and we are especially grateful to all
the staff of UKTI and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, whose
cheerful assistance has again been invaluable.
1 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory
Reform, Our Commitment to Business, November 2007, foreword
by the Prime Minister Back
2
Ibid. Back
3
Mr Adrian Bailey has been added to the Committee. Back
4
The plural form is used to cover proceedings of both the Trade
and Industry Committee and the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory
Reform Committee. Back
5
Third Report of Session 2005-06, HC 881-I Back
6
Oral evidence taken on 22 October 2007, HC (2006-07) 1090-i Back
7
See Oral and Written Evidence, UK dependence on gas and coal
imports, HC 1123i-vii and HC 1316-I, and Oral evidence, Energy
White Paper, HC 756-i Back
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