The following has been supplied by the TUC:
The expert who carried a government commissioned review of workplace safety regulation has raised concerns about his report being 'misused' for political purposes. Professor Ragnar Löfstedt told a forum in London on 17 January he was not in favour of 'radical' reform, contradicting David Cameron's attack earlier this month on the 'monster' of health and safety. The prime minister referenced Löfstedt's 2011 report, as he blamed the 'albatross' of health and safety legislation for holding back British businesses. But the professor, speaking at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum, insisted he had never called for significant changes to legal policy. At the 17 January meeting, Löfstedt was asked by Mike Clancy, deputy general secretary of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors' and specialists' union, whether he had concerns about the government's treatment of his review. The professor replied: 'I am concerned about it. I am concerned my review could be misused.' The first health and safety regulations lined up for the chop were made public this week, with seven largely archaic and redundant laws covering topics from anthrax to pottery metrication identified. However, the government is proposing to go way beyond Professor Löfstedt's recommendation to consolidate rather than remove regulation. Employment minister Chris Grayling told the House of Commons on 23 January: 'The Löfstedt report, which we published in November, recommends significant changes to our regulatory regime. We accepted the recommendations and, with other planned changes, we aim to reduce the total number of health and safety regulations by 50 per cent by 2014.' He said while Britain has the 'best safety record in Europe' it also 'has the worst record for unnecessary red tape.' Addressing the minister, Labour MP Kate Clark, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Health and Safety Group, said: 'Given that the Löfstedt report does not say that our health and safety legislation is either excessive or wrong, will the Minister also say that and stop peddling the myths on health and safety legislation - the Löfstedt report says that they are myths - that some of his colleagues keep peddling?' The minister responded: 'The hon. Lady misunderstands the challenge we face.'
