My query:

Recently – from coverage in the Times and from various Internet resources[1] – I have become concerned about the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill; coverage of the bill verges from the scathing to the mildly hysterical, but throughout there emerges in the articles a common theme of its providing an all-too-easy “shortcut” for passage of new laws, bypassing much parliamentary review – much less a vote.

I fail to see how the Conservatives – most especially whilst in opposition – should want to support such a measure, and hence am writing to you in order to enquire as to your disposition on the bill, and further as to what line the party as a whole will be taking?

I feel strongly against the measures in the bill as proposed, for I believe strongly in the value of Parliamentary oversight rather than direct regulation “By Order”.

Yours sincerely [etc]

[1] Most of which are indexed upon [www.saveparliament.org.uk]

His response:

Subject: FW: Letter from your constituent Alec Muffett
From: “ZONNEVELD, Rosemary” […@…]
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:45:42 +0000

Dear Mr. Muffett,

Thank you for your email. The stated aim of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill is to tackle red tape and unnecessary regulation, but in doing so it has offered up proposals which involve significant constitutional change. The Bill will confer excessively wide powers on Ministers to make Orders to amend, repeal and replace any legislation. The absolute safeguards in the Bill are weak and in my view the solution to deregulation does not lie in passing more legislation which radically shifts the balance of power from Parliament to Ministers.

Constitutionally significant powers have been granted to Ministers before, such as in the European Communities Act 1972, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 whereby Ministers can delete obsolete provisions, make uncontroversial changes or implement a policy already approved by Parliament. However, I do not think the measures in this new Bill are an appropriate extension to ministerial powers.

Perhaps on reflection the Conservatives could have been more vociferous about the bad points of this Bill; but we did have to recognise that introducing real deregulation, something which we and businesses have been calling for for a long time, is much easier to demand – and to promise – than it is to deliver. We do need to ensure that such a Bill has proper safeguards built into it. However, the overwhelming majority of the changes to any Bill occur at the Committee Stage and I understand from my colleague, Jonathan Djanogly MP, Shadow Solicitor-General, that we are tabling amendments which will introduce those safeguards to the Bill.

Yours sincerely,

James Arbuthnot

My emphasis added.

Communication all sorted out courtesy of [www.writetothem.com]

So, what does your MP say?