Background
6. I announced the Quality Regulation Review in May 2006 as the government's commitment to ensuring that our regulatory environment for business is supportive of the economic transformation agenda. The Review is focussing on how regulation is implemented and administered by government agencies and is seeking to identify workable solutions to problems that are unnecessarily inhibiting business growth and economic development. The Review is not seeking to revisit the policy that underlies the particular regulation.
7. The scope and broad work programme of the Review were endorsed by Cabinet Policy Committee (POL Min (06) 9/13 refers). This paper also set the timeframes for the Review, namely, to be completed by July 2007 with two Milestone Reports to be provided by 31 October 2006 and 31 March 2007.
8. A Quality Regulation Taskforce, led by the Ministry of Economic Development and representing senior officials from The Treasury, the Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Labour, Internal Affairs, and Building and Housing, the Ministries of Transport, the Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, and Fisheries, the Accident Compensation Corporation, Statistics New Zealand and Local Government New Zealand is meeting regularly to progress the Review's work programme and report to the Ministerial Group for Quality Regulation.
9. The existing Business Consultation website was changed to enable businesses to provide details of the regulatory issues concerning them, particularly identifying issues and potential solutions. Various business organisations have assisted in marketing this opportunity to their members. Media advertising will commence in November to further encourage businesses to submit issues and potential solutions.
10. This Committee is being asked to consider two papers as the basis of the First Milestone Report. This, the first paper, details the issues arising from the implementation of regulation that have been identified thus far with the business community and provides an overview of the review's work programme. This paper also provides an initial list of the issues the government is committed to address as part of this review. Annex 1 provides details of proposals to amend laws and regulations in line with the objectives of the review. It provides a list of issues that have been identified where either (a) a commitment can be made to change and (b) those issues that have or will trigger work with a view to resolving them.
11. The second paper discusses the implementation details of the strengthened Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) requirements agreed to by Cabinet in May 2006.
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