Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006
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8 January 2007[2] | |
Status: Amended | |
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History of passage through Parliament | |
Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Revised text of statute as amended |
The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 (c 51) (LRRA) is an
The Bill for this Act
The
The Bill received its third reading in the House of Commons on 16 May 2006, and moved to the House of Lords. After its first and second readings, the bill was reported with amendments on 19 July 2006, before the summer recess. Its report stage in the House of Lords took place on 26 October 2006, and it received royal assent on 8 November 2006.
Part 1: Power to reform legislation
The first Part of the Bill, entitled "Power to reform legislation", permits a government minister to make
Under clause 1 of the Bill, a minister can only make an order for two purposes: "reforming legislation" or "implementing recommendations" made by the
Before making an order, clause 3 of the Bill requires the relevant minister to be satisfied that a legislative change is required to secure the policy objective, that the proposed order is "proportionate", "strikes a fair balance" between the public interest and the interests of any persons adversely affected, does not remove any "necessary protection", and does not prevent anyone from exercising rights or freedoms that they "might reasonably expect to continue to exercise".
The Bill contains some express limitations. Clause 5 prevents the Bill being used to "impose or increase taxation"; clause 6 prevents orders under the Bill being used to create any new
Ministers are required to consult widely before making an order under the Bill, lay a draft of a proposed order before Parliament with an explanatory documents. The draft order may pass through Parliament to become a
Criticism
Controversially, the order-making powers in the Bill are potentially very wide. Although, for example, the Bill (if it is enacted as drafted) cannot be used to introduce new taxes, there is no restriction on the Bill being used to amend itself; and the tests that a minister must satisfy before making an order are very subjective. An order would be subject to supervision by the High Court by way of judicial review, but it would be difficult to show that a minister was not "satisfied" that the requirements for making an order were met. In January 2006, the Bill was called "potentially one of the most constitutionally significant Bills that has come before the House for some time" by the House of Commons Select Committee on Regulatory Reform;[7] while supporting the move to cut "red tape", the Committee asked for extra safeguards to avoid potential "abuse" of the powers in the Bill.[8] Earlier in January, the
The Bill has been criticised heavily in articles and correspondence published in the press. In
The Bill has also been criticised by legal professionals. The
Barristers Sir Jeremy Lever QC and George Peretz pointed out in a letter to The Times on 23 February 2006 that the Solicitor General told Parliament on 13 July 1972 that the similar powers in section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 would only be used for "consequential amendments of a small, minor and insignificant kind", although they have been used subsequently to implement EC legislation that has made substantial changes to UK law.[15]
An article in The Guardian compared the Bill to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, saying that the Bill was presented as modernising measure but actually gave ministers arbitrary powers, taking "another chunk out of our centuries-old democracy".[16] An article published in The Independent in June 2006 that analysed the last nine years of legal reform attacked the Prime Minister and his Government, claiming that the numerous changes and laws passed since it has been in power have reduced the power of democracy in the UK; the Bill was one example the journalist gave of the kinds of methods being employed to do this.[17]
After the Bill completed its committee stage in the House of Commons, it was reported that the House of Commons Procedure Committee had complained that the Bill "tips the balance between the executive and Parliament too far in the Government's favour".[18] A second report published by the House of Commons Select Committee on Public Administration on 20 April 2006 stated that, "As currently drafted, the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill gives the Government powers which are entirely disproportionate to its stated aims."[19]
In May 2006, the
Support
The government minister responsible,
In May 2006, a report from the House of Lords Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform found that clause 1 of the bill was "not far different" from the power granted under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001, and so not inappropriate. While recognising the need for sub-delegation of order-making powers in some situations, the report considered that the case for unlimited sub-delegation was sufficiently made out, and that some limits should be imposed, for example, by specifying categories of person (such as local authorities) to whom powers could be delegated. The report found that the powers of Parliamentary supervision in the amended bill were adequate, but the ability for a minister to change the law to implement recommendations of Law Commission or to consolidate and simplify legislation were thought to be inappropriate, saying that "the statute law should be made by Parliament, not by Ministers".[23]
Part 2: Regulators
The second Part of the Bill, entitled "Regulators", implements recommendations of a review led by Philip Hampton, entitled "Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement", published in the Hampton Report in a March 2005. Clause 19 contains two principles that regulators must have regard to when exercising particular regulatory functions: regulatory activities must be carried out in a way which is "transparent, accountable, proportionate and consistent", and should be targeted only at cases in which action is needed. Clause 20 and enables a minister to introduce a mandatory Code of Practice for regulators.
Part 3: European Community legislation
The third Part of the Bill, entitled "Legislation Relating to the European Communities etc.", makes provision about legislation relating to the European Communities, to reduce the number of UK Statutory Instruments required to transpose EU legislation into domestic UK law. These provisions were copied from the European Union Bill which was also before Parliament, but which had made little progress.
Procedural history
House of Commons
The Bill was introduced in the House of Commons by
The Bill had its formal First Reading on 11 January 2006 The Bill was considered by House of Commons
The Government published proposed amendments to the Bill on 4 May 2006 which are intended "to put beyond doubt that the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill will only be used to deliver the Government's better regulation agenda".[29] The amendments make substantial changes to the Bill, replacing the first two clauses entirely with new clauses under which an order can only be made for the purposes of "removing or reducing any burden" from legislation, or of securing that regulatory activities are "carried out in a way which is transparent, accountable, proportionate and consistent" and are "targeted only at cases in which action is needed", or of implementing the recommendations of a Law Commission. The amendments also add a power for a Committee of either of the Houses of Parliament to prevent a draft order being passed, subject to the Committee being overruled by the relevant House. Further "follow-up" amendments were published on 10 May 2006 to "ensure total clarity on what this Bill is intended to deliver".[30] Amongst other things, the new amendments ensure that the Orders under the Bill could not be used to amend the Bill itself, once it is enacted, nor to amend the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Bill was debated on Report from the Standing Committee on 15 and 16 May 2006.[31][32] A number of government amendments were made to implement the changes announced earlier on 4 May, and further opposition amendments were debated but rejected. The Bill received its Third Reading in the House of Commons following the debate on 16 May.[33]
House of Lords
The Bill moved to the House of Lords, where it was presented by Lord Bassam of Brighton and received its formal First Reading on 17 May, and House of Lords Bill 109 of the 2005–6 Parliamentary session.[34] It had its Second Reading on 13 June,[35] and it was debated in a Committee of the whole house on 3 July,[36] 10 July[37] and 19 July.[38]
After completing its Committee stage on 19 July, the Bill was reported with amendments.[39] The Bill had its report stage in the House of Lords on 26 October,[40] after Parliament returned from its summer recess, and its Third Reading was held on 3 November.[41]
The Bill received
Section 33 – Commencement
This section provides that the Act came into force at the end of the period of two months that began on the date on which it was passed. The word "months" means
See also
References
- Halsbury's Statutes. Fourth Edition. 2008 Reissue. Volume 41. Page 1158.
- short title is authorised by section 35of this Act.
- ^ The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, section 33
- ^ a b How I woke up to a nightmare plot to steal centuries of law and liberty, The Times, 15 February 2006.
- ^ a b Who wants the Abolition of Parliament Bill?, The Times, 21 February 2006.
- ^ New Bill to enable delivery of swift and efficient regulatory reform to cut red tape – Jim Murphy Archived 14 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Cabinet Office press release, CAB/001/06, 11 January 2006.
- ^ Explanatory notes, paragraph 5.
- ^ Select Committee on Regulatory Reform – First Special Report, HC 878, 31 January 2006.
- ^ Red tape law 'must not be abused', BBC News, 6 February 2006.
- ^ Letter from the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution to the Lord Chancellor, 23 January 2006 (MS Word); also published in Appendix 1 to the House of Lords Constitution Select Committee Eleventh Report, HL 194, 24 May 2006, together with a reply from the Lord Chancellor.
- ^ "Greens attack "Abolition of Parliament" Bill". Green Party of England and Wales. 18 March 2006. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011.
- Law Society, 9 February 2006.
- ^ Letters to the Editor, The Times, 16 February 2006.
- ^ Three more reasons to be depressed, The Telegraph, 9 February 2006.
- ^ Another blow to Parliament?, The Times, 28 February 2006.
- ^ Letters to the Editor, The Times, 23 February 2006.
- ^ How we move ever closer to becoming a totalitarian state, The Guardian, 5 March 2006.
- ^ Blair Laid Bare: the article that may get you (arrested for reading) Archived 5 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ MPs angry at Bill to end all Bills[dead link], The Telegraph, 18 March 2006.
- ^ Public Administration – Third Report – Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, HC 1033, 20 April 2006.
- ^ Constitution – Eleventh Report – Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, HL 194, 24 May 2006.
- ^ Winding up the debate on second reading, Hansard, Col.1101, 9 February 2006.
- ^ Letters to the Editor: Time to Reform, The Times, 20 February 2006
- ^ Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform – Twentieth Report – Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, HL 192, 24 May 2006.
- ^ a b First reading, Hansard, Col.305, 11 January 2006.
- ^ Second reading, Hansard, Col.1048, 9 February 2006.
- ^ Programme motion, Hansard, Col.1103, 9 February 2006.
- ^ Money resolution, Hansard, Col.1106, 9 February 2006.
- ^ Standing Committee Proceedings, Hansard, 28 February, 3 March, 7 March, 9 March 2006.
- ^ Government amends Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill Archived 12 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Cabinet Office press release, CAB 022/06, 4 May 2006.
- ^ Government amends Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill Archived 12 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Cabinet Office press statement, 10 May 2006.
- ^ Report Stage, Hansard, Col.708, 15 May 2006.
- ^ Report Stage, Hansard, Col.871, 16 May 2006.
- ^ Third reading, Hansard, Col.960, 16 May 2006.
- ^ First Reading in the House of Lords, Hansard, Col.271, 17 May 2006.
- ^ Second reading, Hansard, Col.120, 13 June 2006.
- ^ House of Lords Committee, Hansard, 3 July 2006.
- ^ House of Lords Committee, Hansard, 10 July 2006.
- ^ House of Lords Committee, Hansard, 19 July 2006.
- ^ End of Committee Stage in the House of Lords; Bill reported with amendments, Hansard, Col.1404, 19 July 2006.
- ^ Third Reading in the House of Lords, Hansard, Col.1286, 26 October 2006.
- ^ List of Public Bills from the Parliament Weekly Information Bulletin, 28 October 2006.
- ^ Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill receives Royal Assent Archived 11 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Press release CAB066/06 from the Cabinet Office, 8 November 2006.
- ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 5 and Schedule 1
- CA.
Further reading
- Text of the Bill introduced to the House of Commons on 11 January 2006
- Explanatory notes to the Bill as introduced on 11 January 2006
- Text of the Bill on Report, 9 March 2006
- Text of the Bill introduced to the House of Lords on 17 May 2006
- Explanatory notes to the Bill as introduced on 17 May 2006
- Amendments in the House of Lords
- Text of the Bill as amended in Committee in the House of Lords, 19 July 2006
- Review of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001, Cabinet Office (PDF, 59 pages)
- Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement (Philip Hampton, March 2005), HM Treasury (PDF, 147 pages)
- Amendments published by the Cabinet Office, 4 May 2006 (PDF, 10 pages)
- Further amendments published by the Cabinet Office, 10 May 2006 (PDF, 3 pages)
- Whitaker, Richard. "Parliament and Government, 2005-06: Reforms and Reflections." Parliamentary Affairs, vol. 59, no. 4 (Oct 2006), p. 694.
External links
- The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, as amended from the National Archives.
- The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, as originally enacted from the National Archives.
- Explanatory notes to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.
- Save Parliament – a campaign against this Bill
- Save Parliament Blog
- Fear over plans to cut red tape, BBC News, 17 March 2006.
- Interview with Today programme, 22 February 2006.
- Telegraph Opinion: Labour isn't wicked – but it's doing just what the Nazis did