To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total administrative cost of complying with his Department’s regulations, as defined in The Defra Simplification Plan “Maximising Outcomes, Minimising Burdens” November 2006, in each year since 2001. (128836)

DEFRA, in common with other Government Departments, took part in an exercise during 2005 and 2006 to measure the total administrative burdens imposed by regulations that were in force in May 2005. This exercise had not been undertaken before. The total annual administrative burden imposed on business by DEFRA regulations was assessed to be £527.8 million per year. DEFRA has made a commitment to reduce this burden by 25 per cent. by 2010.

My Department’s simplification plan ‘Maximising Outcomes, Minimising Burdens’ which was published in December 2006 provided an update on progress so far. During the year June 2005-May 2006 an additional £13.5 million of administrative burdens was imposed by new regulations. Against this, simplification initiatives during the period have delivered savings of £51.5 million, a net reduction of £38 million.

DEFRA will publish its next simplification plan toward the end of 2007.