My honourable friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, Mr McFadden, is today presenting to Parliament a Command Paper listing regulatory impact assessments published between July and December 2006. This is the 26th Command Paper.

The Government are committed to ensuring that regulations are necessary, give effective protection, balance cost and risk, are fair and command public confidence.

In accordance with this, we require departments to produce and publish regulatory impact assessments for all regulatory proposals likely to have an impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies and the public sector.

Copies have been placed in the Library for the reference of noble Lords and will be available in the Printed Paper Office.