Overview

This bill amends the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to increase parliamentary scrutiny of health protection regulations made by the UK government, particularly focusing on ensuring proportionality and providing greater parliamentary oversight before regulations come into effect.

Description

The bill primarily focuses on amending two sections of the 1984 Act. Firstly, it mandates that for English regulations (those made by the Secretary of State), a statement of proportionality must be presented to Parliament, supported by a regulatory impact assessment. Secondly, it changes the procedure for making these regulations, requiring a draft of the statutory instrument to be laid before both Houses of Parliament for at least 20 sitting days. If either House objects, the regulations cannot proceed unless modified and approved by both Houses.

Government Spending

The bill does not directly allocate or change government spending. However, the increased scrutiny and requirement for regulatory impact assessments may indirectly affect spending by influencing the development and implementation of health protection regulations. The precise financial impact is difficult to quantify at this stage.

Groups Affected

• Parliament: Gains increased power of scrutiny over health protection regulations.
• Government Ministers (particularly the Secretary of State): Face increased requirements for justification and parliamentary approval of regulations.
• Public Health Officials: May experience additional administrative burdens in preparing proportionality statements and impact assessments.
• The Public: Will indirectly benefit from greater transparency and accountability in the development of health protection measures.

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