ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESSES

Early day motion 406, tabled 9 March 1999 by Lord Cotter (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 63 members.

That this House recognises the economic and social benefits which a healthy small business sector brings to the country; notes with concern the increasing administrative burden which is being imposed upon businesses and in particular small businesses; observes that a recent survey by the Institute of Chartered Accountants revealed that business advisers believe that the annual cost of implementing new legislation is more than ú5,000 for a small business; believes that this represents a significant handicap to the establishment of new businesses and the continued viability of established businesses; in the light of this position, calls upon the Government to carry out an immediate audit of the regulations affecting small businesses and to establish a strategy for ameliorating these difficulties; and further requests the Government to commit itself to ensuring that future legislation will not add unnecessarily to these burdens, to producing an annual impact assessment detailing the costs of all new legislation specifically upon small businesses and to exploiting fully the opportunities offered by the Internet for streamlining the administrative demand on business.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 42, Conservative 15, Labour 4, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1.