§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the recommendations made by the Health and Safety Executive since 1997 which should have been implemented to date; what steps have been taken to ensure346W these recommendations will be implemented; when these recommendations are likely to be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [58193]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) do not make recommendations to Ministers on railway safety matters, this is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Commission. Recommendations made by the Commission since 1997 were that the Secretary of State make regulations on train protection and Mark 1 rolling stock (1998), regulations to extend the scope of train operators' safety cases and transfer responsibility for the acceptance of safety cases from Railtrack to the Health and Safety Executive (2000) and regulations to make clear that safety cases cover escape from trains as well as organised evacuation in an emergency (2001) implementing a recommendation from Lord Cullen's part 1 report into the Ladbroke Grove train accident. All of these regulations have been made.
HSE Railway Inspectors regularly make recommendations as part of their checks on dutyholders. Providing details of such recommendations would entail disproportionate cost.