This paper sets out the background and operation of the compliance cos
t assessment (CCA) procedure currently used in British Government and
the objectives of a research project which aims to investigate it. A p
roduct of the general drive to deregulate, CCAs are designed to assess
the potential impact on business costs of proposed regulations. The a
rticle outlines an initial set of questions which relate both to the p
hilosophy and intended purpose of the CCA initiative generally and als
o to more detailed issues of how the cost assessments themselves are a
rrived at.