HC Deb 17 January 1994 vol 235 c427W
Mr. Barron

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent the Health and Safety Commission has been able under the auspices of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to rationalise or modernise substantial areas of health and safety law.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 11 January 1994]: Since 1975, the Health and Safety Commission—HSC—using the powers given to it under the 1974 Act has proposed changes endorsed by Ministers which have led to the replacement of around 350 sets of old-style prescriptive sets of regulations with some 100 sets of modern goal-setting ones. This is a substantial programme of achievement, although the Government share the Commission's view that there is scope for simplifying legislation and reducing red tape.

However, the powers in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 are technically deficient and do not allow for regulations to make revocations or repeals of pre-1974 provisions unless they are directly replaced by new requirements in the same set of regulations.

The HSC has requested an amendment to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to permit repeals and revocations without direct replacement where it is satisfied that the overall system of regulations and approved codes of practice in modern legislation properly safeguards standards of health and safety.

Mr. Barron

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Health and Safety Executive draft publication "The Cost to the British Economy of Work Accidents and Work-Related Ill Health" will be published.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 11 January 1994]: "The Cost to the British Economy of Work Accidents and Work Related Ill Health", a technical companion to the "Cost of Accidents" report, published in January 1993, is to be published on 9 February.

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