Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010. [46147]

Chris Grayling MP; Minister of State: There is a significant amount of formal and informal consultation and engagement between the Department for Work and Pensions and small business representatives. Information on specific contacts is not co-ordinated centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but I can confirm that we have regular dialogue at ministerial and senior official level with individuals, businesses and umbrella organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as larger organisations including the CBI and BCC.

During any consultation, we encourage all relevant groups and individuals to participate. During the period in question, the Department has launched the following formal consultation exercises on proposed new legislation that we would expect to be of relevance to small businesses:

The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2011

The consultation on the impact of using CPI for private sector occupational pension schemes

The Draft Pension Protection Fund (Pension Compensation Sharing on Divorce etc.) Regulations 2010

The Draft Pension Protection Fund (Pensions on Divorce etc.: Charges) Regulations 2010

The Draft Financial Assistance Scheme and Pension Protection Fund (Valuation, Revaluation and Indexation Amendments) Regulations 2011

The Pension Protection Fund (Prescribed Payments and Investment Costs) Regulations 2011

Phasing out the default retirement age in 2010 (joint consultation between the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions)

Abolition of contracting out on a defined contribution basis

The Application of Pension Legislation to the National Employment Savings Trust Corporation Regulations 2011

In addition, we have informally consulted representatives of small businesses on a range of measures addressed in the Making Automatic Enrolment Work review-'Regulatory differences between occupational and workplace personal pensions'.