Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. In opening this debate, I would like to set out the context for the Bill. That context is the importance of the Government’s better regulation agenda in maintaining our economic prosperity and continuing to improve our public services. I should then like to make the case for this alternative legislative process to deliver our better regulation objectives, before setting out the Bill’s provisions in more detail. I should like to start by thanking all those who have helped with the development of these proposals, including the business community and members of our public services. I am particularly grateful to the Regulatory Reform Committee and the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in another place. They have made a significant contribution to the Bill’s development, having provided very useful insight into the operation of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 and how its defects might be addressed. I also welcome the Regulatory Reform Committee’s recently published first special report of Session 2005–06, which expresses general support for, and shows a constructive approach to, the issues raised by the Bill. We have not been able to respond to those conclusions given the short time scale, but I wish to say at this early stage of our proceedings that the recommendations deserve serious consideration as they are sensible and constructive, and we expect to draw extensively on the experience of the Committee and its members during the Bill’s passage. The Government have outlined a radical approach to better regulation and the Bill is central to delivering it. The Bill will provide a more proportionate way of delivering better regulation reforms to legislation. It will help to promote a real change in the culture of regulation and inspection and enable the implementation of valuable and non-contentious Law Commission proposals. The introduction of the Bill is a reflection of our continuing commitment to maintain one of the best regulatory performances of any major economy.