Health and Safety Executive

HC Deb 29 October 1996 vol 284 cc64-5W

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further deregulation proposals he has in respect of the Health and Safety Executive. [655]

Sir Paul Beresford

In May 1994, the Health and Safety Commission published a report entitled "Review of Health and Safety Regulation". The review was the most cmprehensive examination of health and safety legislation for 20 years. The Government welcomed and accepted in full its recommendations to modernise and simplify health and safety law and to make other changes designed to reduce administrative burdens on business without lowering necessary standards of protection.

The HSC is now over halfway through its programme of work to implement the recommendations of the report. Details of the activity to be carried out in the present year are set out in the HSC plan of work 1996–97 published last May.