HC Deb 11 December 2002 vol 396 cc374-5W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of failures in health and safety in the workplace in each year since 1997. [83869]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

The overall cost to the British economy of all workplace injuries and work-related ill health in the most recent year for which detailed information is available (year 1995–96) is estimated to be between £2.9 billion and £4.2 billion. When the costs of avoidable non-injury safety failures are included, the cost rises to between £4.4—£8.6 billion.

The total costs in 1995–96 to society as a whole, including our estimates for the loss of welfare resulting from pain, grief and suffering of individual victims and their families, is estimated to be between £14.5 billion—£18.1 billion.

Mr. Gardiner

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was to the Exchequer of workplace accidents and illnesses in each year since 1995–96. [85417]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

.The overall cost to the British economy of all workplace injuries and work-related ill health in the most recent year for which detailed information is available (year 1995/96) is estimated to be between £2.9 billion and £4.2 billion. When the costs of avoidable non-injury safety failures are included, the cost rises to between £4.4 to £8.6 billion.