Explanatory information and correspondence
23. We sought further information from the Department
for Transport about the Passenger and Goods Vehicle (Community
Recording Equipment Regulation) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/3276),
which we drew to the special attention of the House in our
6th Report. The correspondence is printed at Appendix 1.
24. On 22 March 2006, the Chairman wrote to Lord
Drayson, Defence Procurement Minister, about the Competition
Act 1998 (Public Policy Exclusion) Order 2006 (SI 2006/605).
Lord Drayson replied on 30 March. The correspondence was reproduced
as an appendix to the Committee's 32nd Report of 2005-06. In his
letter, the Chairman stated that MOD had provided the Committee
with a précis note about discussions between the MOD and
potential providers, which contained no commercially sensitive
information and could be published for the information of the
House. In response to a query about that précis note, we
have decided now to publish it. It is printed at Appendix 2.
25. In October 2006, the Committee saw the Cosmetic
Products (Safety) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/2231).
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had laid these on 17
August 2006, and brought them into force two weeks later. DTI
chose to breach the "21-day rule" in order to ensure
that the Regulations came into force by the Commission's implementation
deadline of 1 September 2006 for Commission Directive 2006/65/EC.
While we decided not to bring the Regulations to the special attention
of the House, the instance prompted us to raise our concern that
the time allowed for Parliament to consider secondary legislation
before it takes effect should not be curtailed solely to meet
deadlines which the Government had agreed for European legislation.
Our correspondence with the Minister of State for Europe is printed
at Appendix 3.
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