(2) what estimate he has made of the administrative burden in his Department in each year since 1997; and what progress has been made towards the target of a reduction of 25 per cent. in the administrative burden.
DEFRA participated in the cross-Government administrative burden measurement exercise carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) on behalf of the Cabinet Office. The exercise used an internationally agreed model, recommended to the Government by business, to establish a baseline.
As the first UK Government to take this radical approach to managing the regulatory burden, there is no comparative data before 2005 when the PwC exercise was carried out. However, we will shortly be publishing a revised DEFRA Simplification Plan. Copies will be placed in the Library. The revised Plan will update action taken since the November 2005 Initial Simplification Plan “Lifting the Burden”. It will also take account of the outcome of the PwC measurement exercise and identify progress towards meeting DEFRA's commitment to reduce the overall administrative burden imposed on stakeholders by 25 per cent.