§ Mr. PearsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the new strategy to revitalise health and safety; and if he will make a statement. [124918]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government and the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) will publish their "Revitalising Health and Safety" Strategy Statement tomorrow, and copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House. The strategy is about improving health and safety conditions in all of Britain's workplaces.
The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 was a landmark in making Britain's workplaces safer. The Act provides for good, effective regulation of health and safety and has transformed Britain's workplaces. We can see the results—the number of deaths at work today is a quarter of the 1971 level. Britain is now one of the safest countries in which to work. But in today's modern economy, it is unacceptable that hundreds of people still die in workplace accidents, and 25,000 more leave the workforce never to return as a result of being injured, or made ill, by their work.
This Government are determined to build a fair and decent society for everyone, not just the few. A better deal for working people is central to that vision—safe and healthy working conditions are at the core of that vision. Tomorrow, the Government and the HSC will embark on a new 10 year programme of improvement. For the first time ever, the Government and the HSC will set national targets to cut work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses. We will implement 44 separate measures to that end. These will include motivating employers to raise their game, giving further support to the important work done by safety representatives, and giving more help to small firms in their management of health and safety. Above all, we will inject new impetus into the health and safety system to prevent accidents and ill health causing misery to thousands of people.