Regarding the Legislative and Legal Reform Bill

[Denny Crane!]

An explanation of the bill sent to me from one H A's staff.

The Rt Hon. Hilary Armstrong MP
Government Chief Whip

Dear Mr Cowen

Thank you for your fax dated 5th March 2006 regarding the Legislative and reform bill.

It may be useful if I outline the purpose of the bill, this legislation aims to make it quicker and easier ti tackle unneccessary or overcomplicated regulation whilst maintaining standards and protections. It ensures that whilst we look to cut red tape we maintain important existing regulation that protects employees customers families and the environment.

The bill seeks to broaden the power already contained in the regulatory and reform act2001 which allows the government to amend outdated or over complicated legislation. The bill is intended to be used for measures identified in the departmental simplification plans (due at end of 2006) uncontroversial law commission recommendations and structural reform of regulatory bodies.

However there are important safeguards built in to the bill that ensure a balance between the removal of "red tape" and proper parlimentary scrutiny. There will be four processes in place to check the appropriateness of the power. THere will be a requirement to consult for example businesses unions and charities affected by any changes. Ministers would also have to lay down an explanatory document before parliment settingout why the power was to be exercised and how any change would contribute to better regulation. Finally, parliment will have the right to securitise and veto any change. We are currently looking at ammendments to further reassure poeple that powers in this Bill will not be used inappropriatly but only to reduce the burden of regulation on business.

Labour is committed to a culture change in government to remove needless administrative burdens that hold back enterprise especially small business whilst protecting the hard won standards of protection obtained by working people.

I hope I have been able to reassure you about this bill. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

Your sincerely

Hilary Armstrong MP

[Perikles]

So it seems that our worries were unfounded, but this is from Labour, Kings of Spin. As long as parliament can veto any proposals it is alright with me.

[Denny Crane!]

So it seems that our worries were unfounded, but this is from Labour, Kings of Spin. As long as parliament can veto any proposals it is alright with me.

Thats what I figured, and there is no way parliment would allow that veto to be removed.

I am all for streamlining the government and reducing legislation. Although i slabour really cared about small business as they say they do they would be doing more against the supermarkets.

Peter

[bigfootedfred]

The problem is it fails to address the problems with the most crucial point of this bill.

Yes we already knew about the "veto".

The big big issue here, is that parliment would be turned into a rubber stamping house.
With the option of "yes" or "no" to new or revised Laws, instead of being the place where law is made
That in itself is constitionaly dangerous.

This is still a highly dangerous bill to the British democracy.
Law should be in the hands of the elected house, to be debated.
Not a House which says yes or no to laws created or revised by single polticains.

It would be a HUGE shift in power.

[the Black Prince]

i'm going to merge this with the abolition of parliament thread which also discusses the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill



it shouldn't take much for the Lords to amend some decent safe guards into this bill, and who knows what it will look like when it comes out of committee?


thread merged to here
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=46223