Queens Speech - "Get off our backs" says Mike

12.00.00am GMT Wed 15th Nov 2006

The Labour Government is addicted to legislating and should stop its "hyperactive, headline-driven law making" according to Weston-super-Mare's Liberal Democrat Prospective MP Mike Bell.

His comments come as the Government announced in today's Queens Speech a further 25 new Bills and 4 draft Bills.

Mike said: "By the end of this parliamentary session the Government will have passed 370 new Acts and 32,776 Statutory Instruments, adding a total of 114,355 pages to the statute book. They have created more than 3,000 new criminal offences.

"Whilst some of these new laws, and some of the proposals in the Queens Speech, are welcome. It is difficult to see how our community here in Weston has benefited from Labour's hyperactive, headline-driven law making.

"The Government's addiction to legislation has curtailed our freedoms, confused the public, added to the red tape faced by our business people and caused a mountain of paperwork for our teachers, nurses and police officers.

"One Bill we needed to see in this Queens Speech was a Freedom Bill, as proposed by the Liberal Democrats, that could have swept away unnecessary laws and got the Government off the backs of local people.

"Not for the first time, the Government has offered the creation of new rules, regulations and laws as a substitute for decisive leadership and effective action."