Campaigners concerned over Hampton proposals

The Hampton review's interim report on reducing administrative burdens on business has been criticised by campaign group the Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA).

The review, carried out at the request of chancellor Gordon Brown, concluded that regulatory bodies like the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should advise more and enforce less.

CCA director David Bergman commented: "Whilst the effect of these proposals will make things easier for business, they could have a serious detrimental impact upon safety."

The review has not adequately considered national and international research showing that inspections by enforcement officers are effective at reducing injury rates and ensuring compliance, the CCA says. Instead, it has relied on one study on food safety to support its conclusion that regulators should move away from enforcing the law.

The review also wants regulators to make a public commitment that they will not prosecute businesses that have honestly attempted to follow guidance, except in the most serious cases. The CCA says this would "drive a coach and horses" though the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) risk-based enforcement policy, and that it would be almost impossible for HSE inspectors to prove that a business has acted dishonestly.

Consultation on the Hampton review's interim report - available on the CCA website at www.corporateaccountability.org/press_releases/2004/dec9hampton.htm - is open until 4 February. The final report will be published in the spring.