Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Hammond Excerpts
Thursday 24th May 2012

(11 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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The Secretary of State was asked—
Stephen Hammond Portrait Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con)
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1. What steps he has taken to reduce the burden of regulation on (a) small and medium-sized and (b) other businesses.

Mark Prisk Portrait The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Mark Prisk)
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The Government take a comprehensive approach to cutting the burden of red tape. We have capped the cost of new regulation, identified hundreds of existing regulations to be scrapped, and introduced a moratorium on regulation for all micro-businesses.

Stephen Hammond Portrait Stephen Hammond
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Small businesses in Wimbledon tell me that the two incentives to growth are access to lending and deregulation. Will my hon. Friend be a little more explicit about what the red tape challenge might bring those businesses in my constituency?

Mark Prisk Portrait Mr Prisk
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Progress on the red tape challenge is very important. We have now reviewed some 1,500 regulations, and Ministers have agreed to scrap or substantially overhaul 59% of them—some 887 regulations. That will make a real difference to businesses in Wimbledon and, indeed, elsewhere.