Thanks to AW for the following letter from Conservative Party Office, received in reply to his letter
Dear Sir
Many
thanks for your email to David Cameron - I am replying on his behalf. Sorry for
the delay in my reply, we have been inundated with correspondence lately.
The Government originally claimed that the Bill was designed to reduce
regulation, red tape and bureaucracy. We believed that we could support this
aspiration, but unfortunately the Bill failed to deliver. There was no reference
in it to deregulation. Instead, a wide power was granted to Ministers to amend,
repeal or introduce new law, using a fast track Order making power. The drafting
of the Bill showed Ministerial incompetence.
Conservatives have been dominant in the debates in Parliament about this Bill.
Oliver Heald MP, Shadow Constitutional Affairs Secretary, has called for clear
safeguards, so that the Bill concentrates on deregulation and only allows
Ministers to use the powers in the Bill for non-controversial changes.
The Bill must be amended to provide the necessary safeguards. First,
order-making powers should only be used for specifically deregulatory purposes.
Secondly, the powers should not be used to push through
important or controversial changes, particularly those with constitutional
implications. Finally, it is important that a procedure is built into the
legislation whereby Committees of either House of Parliament can veto an Order.
Following concerted pressure from the Conservative Spokesman, Oliver Heald, in
Committee, the Government has agreed to amend the Bill to focus the fast track
order-making power on deregulation measures only. This is a very significant
climb-down and to be welcomed. The Minister also agreed to write in a clear veto
for Select Committees over any Order, but we feel that the drafting of this is
too restrictive. These concessions go some way towards allaying our concerns,
but we wish to see further safeguards built into the Bill.
I can assure you that we are continuing to work hard to ensure that the
necessary safeguards are built into the Bill and that Parliament is not
sidelined. Oliver Heald has tabled several new amendments to the Bill and will
be pressing for their inclusion when it is next debated.
Thank you once again for your email.
Yours sincerely,
Kate Marley
Correspondence Secretary
David Cameron's Office
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
www.conservatives.com