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Brown Launches 'Old Tory' Type Attacks On H&S

Gordon Brown and Tony Blair have now showed their true colours and the reasons for their reluctance to introduce fully a law that brings to account directors of companies that kill their employees.

Making it clear in two key speeches this week, that they want the UK to become the least regulated and the most flexible when it comes to workforce regulations, the spectre of 'Thatcherite' business policies crawled out of the shadows of number 10.

Furthermore, Blair gave his full backing to Brown's view that business needs little if any regulation in a key speech he gave later in the week to the CBI in which he stated that "Departments will be required to set out their plans to reduce - by 25 per cent - the "red tape" which they oversee through form-filling, inspections and record-keeping."

Speaking at the CBI Gordon Brown defined the Government's approach to the working week regs and made it clear that he favours even less HSE inspections, and even spelled out the end to regulations saying, "......and over time this new model of regulation should not only apply the concept of risk to the enforcement of regulation, but also to the design and indeed to the decision as to whether to regulate at all."

Speaking on the working time regs he said,

"On Europe, where will continue to resist removing the opt-out from European working hours legislation, as well as promoting greater deregulation across Europe, we will stand up for an approach that is pro-Britain, pro-business and pro-European single market - for a Europe which is outward looking, reforming, liberalising and lighter touch in its regulation. And I am today publishing the report I commissioned last year from Lord Davidson who has identified ten areas where we can work together to prevent unnecessary goldplating of European directives."

Regarding H&S specifically he had this message to the CBI conference:

"Last year when I spoke to you, I set out the risk based approach we are pioneering in Britain.

The priority now is delivery.

First, we are introducing new early rulings by HMRC, quicker binding decisions, and for large firms, risk assessment. So, if you are making an investment and you want early advice you will no longer be told you cant be given it; when you ask for certainty you will get it within a standard 28 days; and where there is an issue to resolve, you can have the confidence that only the areas of high risk will be looked at, so they can be concluded more quickly.

Second, most inspection is done by local authorities. So we are today publishing details of how the risk based approach will be applied to all their inspections, with enforcement based on your feedback of what you experience locally; and for firms who have outlets round the country less inspection where there is low risk. And to make immediate progress, we will extend to 70 areas the pilots in Bexley and Warwickshire that have already cut retail inspections by a third.

And our approach will now be backed up by professor Richard MacCrory's recommendation of a proportionate system of penalties because its right to distinguish between the rogue trader who should be pursued and the good company who should not.

You know the old regulatory model, the implicit principle from health and safety to the administration of tax and financial services has been, irrespective of known risks or past results, 100 per cent information requirements, 100 per cent form filling and, if resources allow, 100 per cent inspection, whether it be premises, procedures or practices.

The risk based approach of the future that Britain is now pioneering is founded on a different view of the world - trust in the responsible company, the educated consumer and the informed employee, with then on a risk basis the goal should be a fraction of forms, a fraction of information requirements and a fraction of inspections needed.

And over time this new model of regulation should not only apply the concept of risk to the enforcement of regulation, but also to the design and indeed to the decision as to whether to regulate at all."

Furthermore, Blair gave his full backing to Brown's view that business needs little if any regulation in a key speech he gave later in the week to the CBI in which he stated that "Departments will be required to set out their plans to reduce - by 25 per cent - the "red tape" which they oversee through form-filling, inspections and record-keeping."

It is now clear what we can expect form the next Labour Government under Brown's leadership when it comes to health and safety.

Full text Brown's speech

Full text Blair's speech

Source: GNN


 


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