Overview

This bill amends the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to increase parliamentary scrutiny of health protection regulations. It aims to ensure that regulations are proportionate and subject to proper parliamentary debate before implementation.

Description

The bill makes two key changes:

• Increased Scrutiny of Regulations: It mandates that for regulations made by the Secretary of State, a statement of proportionality, supported by a regulatory impact assessment, must be presented to Parliament. This assessment will demonstrate the justification for the regulations.
• Enhanced Parliamentary Approval Process: The bill introduces a new process requiring a draft of any new statutory instrument relating to health protection regulations to be laid before both Houses of Parliament for at least 20 sitting days. If either House objects, the regulations cannot proceed unless both Houses approve them (possibly with modifications).

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify an increase or decrease in government spending. The cost of conducting regulatory impact assessments and the potential for delayed implementation of regulations could be associated costs. Precise figures are not available in the provided text.

Groups Affected

The bill primarily affects:

• Parliament: Grants Parliament greater oversight of health protection regulations.
• The Secretary of State for Health: Requires the Secretary of State to provide justification and undergo parliamentary scrutiny for regulations.
• Government Departments Involved in Public Health: Increased workload to create regulatory impact assessments and prepare for parliamentary debate.
• The Public: The changes will potentially impact public health measures by introducing a more robust and transparent decision-making process. The outcome on the speed and type of public health measures implemented remains unclear.

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