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Immediate Release

HSC to Treasury: "No reduction in inspection levels"

The Health and Safety Commission have told the Treasury's Hampton review on 'Regulatory Inspection and Enforcement' that it does not consider it appropriate to reduce the number of 'inspections' and concentrate more on advice and awareness-raising.

In its response to the Hampton Review's Interim report - which the CCA obtained through a Freedom of Information Act Request - the HSC says that "

"Your interim report makes reference in places to shifting the balance from inspection to awareness and advice. Consideration of this balance is certainly a crucial regulatory issue. We have given it much thought and believe we have the balance about right."

The Health and Safety Executive adds in its response that at any increase in providing advice should not be at "the cost of resource for enforcement activity."

The CCA is making HSC/'s response available on the day that the Treasury is publishing the full Hampton Report

HSC's response to Hampton is important in the context of the controversy that erupted last year over the publication of HSC's new Strategy "2010 and beyond" that suggested that the HSC was moving towards "new ways of securing compliance voluntarily."

David Bergman, Director of the Centre for Corporate Accountability said:

"It is certainly important that the HSC stand firm against any attempt by the Treasury to decrease the level of inspection and investigation. Whilst making information and advice available to businesses is important, HSC's own research evidence clearly shows that the threat of enforcement is a crucial motivating factor for most companies - and without inspection and investigations the threat of enforcement action is not available.

In relation to the question of whether regulatory bodies should be merged, the HSC said in its response to Hampton although it is "open in principle to considering structural reform", it "remains to be convinced" of the advantages of of a "wider labour inspectorate. It goes onto say that:

"There would certainly be disadvantages about spreading the net beyond those bodies concerned with protection of workers to include those whose responsibilities include taking action against individual workers, such as over illegal working. Beyond that, we consider that mergers with major bodies, such as [Environment Agency] or [Food Safety Agency], would create organisations that were too large without sufficient synergy."

It also goes onto say:

"We would be keen to maintain separation from economic regulation and bodies responsible for business sponsorship."

The Health and Safety Executive's response also states that

It does not think that Regulators can make a 100% commitment not to prosecute businesses who have followed simple guidance, except in the most serious cases - as suggested by Hampton
Supports "any moves that would "make penalties quicker and tougher"
Cannot see merit in "on-the-spot fines and would need some convincing as to their effectiveness".
It is commissioning forensic accountants to provide guidance for the courts to use when considering company wealth.
It is considering systems of restorative justice.


To read more detail about HSC/E's response and to download copies
To read more about the Hampton Inquiry
To read more about HSE and Regulatory Issues


The Centre for Corporate Accountability is a human rights charity advising those bereaved from work-related deaths, and working on issues of safety, law enforcement and corporate accountability.

For Further Information
Centre for Corporate Accountability 0207 490 4494
info@corporateaccountability.org.uk


 

 

 

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Page last updated on March 16, 2005