To ask the President of the Board of Trade what attempts his Department has made to repatriate regulatory policy in line with the principle of subsidiarity; and if he will make a statement. [34955]

The Government attach considerable importance to the remit given by the Cannes European Council to the Commission to report on progress in applying subsidiarity across the range of the Community's policy areas. The Commission is to present this report for discussion at the Madrid European Council in December. Over the last two years my Department, with others in Whitehall, has suggested to the Commission EC measures which we consider should be withdrawn or amended under the principle of subsidiarity. We shall continue to press them to apply this principle.