asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they will take in response to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants' call to align the requirements on small businesses with regard to the provision of data and business information, so as to avoid duplication. [HL830]

The DTI, along with other government departments, published a simplification plan on 11 December. The plan lays out a number of measures to reduce the burden of regulation on business. These include a number of measures being introduced by the Companies Act 2006 and work being carried out by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Companies House to facilitate joint filing.