HC Deb 11 June 2003 vol 406 cc928-9W
Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to bring forward legislation to remove Crown immunity in respect of health and safety offences committed by Government Departments. [118566]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

The Government stand by their commitment to remove Crown immunity from statutory health and safety enforcement and will seek a legislative opportunity, when parliamentary time allows.

In the meantime the Health and Safety Executive continues to enforce health and safety requirements in Crown bodies and applies the Crown censure procedure, where but for Crown immunity, prosecution would have been justified.