Oral Answers to Questions

Tobias Ellwood Excerpts

Thursday 3rd June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

3. What his most recent estimate is of the financial effect on businesses of the present level of regulation.

[Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con)]

5. What his most recent estimate is of the financial effect on businesses of the present level of regulation.

[Mr David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

7. What his most recent estimate is of the financial effect on businesses of the present level of regulation.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Prisk]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for those kind opening remarks, and I hope to be able to satisfy my colleagues’ desire to make sure that we make a real change in how we help small businesses. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that Europe is a key source of many of the regulatory problems that we have, but we gold-plate the situation. That is why the Government are determined to adopt a different approach. Let me briefly say what that is. There are two simple principles: first, we will ensure that the timing of implementation does not disadvantage British business, when compared to its European counterparts; and secondly, when introducing regulation, we shall do so in a way that does not substantially increase either the cost or the scope. That is a crucial commitment to small businesses, and I hope that it will stem the tide.

[Mr Ellwood]

I, too, welcome my hon. Friend to his position. Labour’s red tape comes in all shapes and sizes. There are examples of that in Bournemouth, where a heavy goods vehicle licence is now required to drive one of the Noddy trains, which have provided an excellent service for years. Also, the police are now required to pass a course to allow them to climb an 8-foot ladder to erect Neighbourhood Watch signs. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is not what made Britain great?

[Mr Prisk]

My hon. Friend is right about the way in which common sense seems to depart from the way that this works. That is why we need to change the system, not just deal with the symptoms of the problem. That is why we are introducing a one in, one out approach to change the whole culture of Government: no new regulatory burden on business can be brought forward unless reductions are made to existing regulations. That will change the culture of Whitehall and stop some of the nonsense to which my hon. Friend refers.