Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Paragraph: 49
The Regulatory Policy Committee should be supported for its work in supporting Parliament in understanding...
Recommendation
The Regulatory Policy Committee should be supported for its work in supporting Parliament in understanding the impact of proposed regulation and we recommend these impact assessments are used much more widely throughout the legislative process. Given the transfer of regulatory oversight from the European Parliament to our Parliament, we recognise the need to ensure that our Parliament finds its way in meeting this new challenge and providing effective scrutiny and oversight of new regulations—both from Government and from regulatory bodies. We draw to the attention of the Liaison Committee of this House the role which select committees can play in this field.
Government Response Summary
The Government is committed to ensuring Parliament has information to scrutinise regulatory proposals and that impact assessments are published, with independent scrutiny taking place at an earlier stage in the development of proposals.
Paragraph Reference:
49
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government is committed to ensuring that Parliament has the information it needs to scrutinise regulatory proposals, and that impact assessments are published, where applicable and possible, when an instrument relating to regulatory policy is laid before Parliament. Individual departments are responsible for producing a proportionate assessment of the impacts of their policy proposals ahead of laying relevant regulation, and for ensuring their timely publication. This is set out under the current Better Regulation Framework guidance which makes it clear that departments should publish their impact assessment, alongside either the relevant consultation document on GOV.UK or the relevant legislation on Legislation.gov.uk. The Regulatory Policy Committee provides independent scrutiny of these impact assessments and their opinions are also published alongside relevant proposals. As part of the reforms to the Better Regulation Framework, the Government is committed to continuing independent scrutiny. The reforms would see this take place at an earlier stage in the development of proposals, and look at a broader range of impacts, so as to help better shape policy development before new regulations are introduced to Parliament.