Health and Safety Executive

HC Deb 05 March 1990 vol 168 c506W

Dr. Reid

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to improve the effectiveness of ihe Health and Safety Executive's work.

Mr. Nicholls

The main responsibility for ensuring effectiveness lies with the Health and Safety Commission. In approving the commission's annual plan of work ministers have regard to effectiveness both of programmes and management systems.

Recent and current initiatives to improve effectiveness include:

1. (a) since 1982, all new regulations have been subject to cost-benefit analysis;
2. (b) a 1985 Report "Measuring the Effectiveness of HSE's Field Activities" brought together findings on various regulatory and enforcement activities. Since then a number of further studies have been conducted, and action to improve effectiveness taken.
3. (c) improving effectiveness is a primary objective of HSE's reorganisation, on a more integrated basis, of its field divisions from this April.