10. To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made by her Department in reducing the administrative burden on UK business. (108613)

As we announced on Monday,19 Departments, agencies and regulators have now published simplification plans, and copies of these plans have been laid in the House. The plans contain details on the measurement of the administrative burden.

All departments have set a target to reduce their administrative burden by 25 per cent. except for the Cabinet Office, which has set a target of 35 per cent.

This first year of plans includes savings which will be worth £2 billion annually by 2010, and we expect next year’s plans to improve on this.