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Embargoed:
00.01 hours Tuesday 11 March 2003
New
Briefing on Corporate Killing
A new briefing on corporate killing law is launched
at a meeting by safety groups. The briefing coincides
with an Early Day Motion on the subject has been tabled
to allow MPs to register their support for a new law.
[See notes to editor]
The corporate killing briefing is published by Disaster
Action (a charity set up by people injured in or bereaved
by disasters), the Centre for
Corporate Accountability and the TUC
It says:
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a
new law would not hit small firms because they
can already be prosecuted successfully –
the new law would level the playing field and
remove the competitive advantage large undertakings
currently have; |
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the
costs of a new law would be more than outweighed
by the benefits of improved health and safety
and a reduction in deaths at work; and |
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individual
directors would not face further legal penalties
under the new law, but would be encouraged to
avoid the effect prosecutions would have on their
organisation – loss of reputation and heavier
fines than under existing health and safety law. |
The
briefing also looks at proposals that government departments
(and even Parliament itself) should be immune from
prosecution under the new offence of corporate killing
as sending out the wrong signal.
To download copy of report (word), Click
Here
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Notes to Editors
- The
briefing launch, chaired by Tony Lloyd MP, Chair
of the Trade Union group of Labour MPs, will take
place in the Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House,
Westminster 6pm - 8pm, Tuesday, 11 March. Speakers
include: Labour backbencher Andrew Dismore MP, Conservative
MP Tony Baldry, and Liberal Democrat trade and industry
spokesperson Vincent Cable MP; Maureen Kavanagh,
whose son died in the Southall rail disaster in
1997; Amicus joint General Secretary Derek Simpson
and GMB London Regional Secretary Paul Kenny.
- Early
Day Motion 793, Corporate manslaughter, says:
"That this House regrets that since 1997, over
2000 workers and members of the public have died
in work-related incidents, as well as the Southall,
Paddington, Hatfield and Potters Bar disasters;
notes that during the same period only four companies
and two directors have been convicted of the offence
of manslaughter and that these were all small firms;
recalls that the Law Commission recommended a new
offence of corporate manslaughter in 1996 to hold
large as well as small undertakings to account for
causing death through grossly negligent failures
of management; believes that such an offence would
increase the accountability of directors and their
equivalents, and encourage better safety standards
in undertakings; and calls on the Government to
put before Parliament measures to enact a new offence
of corporate manslaughter as soon as possible."
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- David
Bergman, Centre for Corporate Accountability - 020
7490 4494
Pamela Dix, Disaster Action - 01483 799066
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