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Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [Lords]

Debates and Bills aimed at reducing the country's regulatory burden are always welcome to the Conservative party. However, we have been here before. Indeed, the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs and I have personally been here before, when we debated this exact issue at the time of the Government's last unsuccessful effort at regulatory reform, namely the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006—just two years ago. The Minister welcomed that particular piece of legislation, arguing that it gave a power to remove unwanted regulations through legislative reform orders. Those provisions, however, were themselves designed to upgrade the failed regulatory reform orders that the Government had implemented some five years earlier. Looking back, we remember that great things were predicted in regard to slashing red tape in business. On 15 May 2006—almost two years ago to the day—the Minister said that the Bill would provide initiatives on"““reducing the administrative burdens of regulation, consolidating and simplifying legislation to make it easier to understand and work with, and deregulation.””" He continued:"““It will also allow us to reduce administrative burdens, such as by simplifying administrative requirements for business when setting up a business or hiring staff, by ensuring that inspection is risk-based to reduce the burden on those who comply with regulation””.—[Official Report, 15 May 2006; Vol. 446, c. 719.]" Such grand ambitions we had, back then! But did not that sound just a little bit like what the Minister predicted today? He said a moment ago that this Bill would provide lasting benefits to business, and, in his final flourish, that it would boost business competitiveness. Last time, the practice turned out to be rather different from the theory. By the end of 2007, when the legislation had been in force for nearly a year, it was reported by the Financial Times that the law had yet to cut or even amend a single regulation. An update from the Minister today on the outcome of the existing package of reforms would therefore be appropriate. Perhaps we should not be surprised that, in his opening remarks, he rather interestingly omitted to mention the Government's record to date. So here we are again. Is this going to be third time lucky? Given the Government's record of failure on this issue, the Minister will understand my, and business's, caution.