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CHAMBER CALL FOR EVIDENCE

Health and Safety Executive

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently consulting on the cost recovery scheme for health and safety interventions.

Although the changes put no new health and safety duties on businesses, they do place for the first time a duty on HSE to recover the costs of their interventions in certain circumstances.

Costs would be recovered, if during an inspection or investigation of a material breach - a failure to adhere to health and safety law identified by an inspector as requiring formal action - is discovered. The basic principle of cost recovery has already been accepted by the government and is not the subject of the consultation. However, we would welcome views from the Network on how this scheme can best be implemented to ensure that businesses are treated fairly throughout the cost recovery process.

The consultation closes on October 14^th and the BCC’s draft response to the consultation is attached. Please send any comments to Kamala Mackinnon by September 19^th.

Quarterly Economic Survey – fieldwork reminder

There are approximately two weeks left for responses to be filed for the QES Q3 fieldwork. Given recent events in the financial markets and in major global economies, it is crucial that we gather data which represents the state of the UK business community. Please encourage members to respond.

If you have any queries, please contact Steve Hughes.

Red Tape Challenge

The Red Tape Challenge is open for comments on general regulations affecting business (e.g. employment regulation) as well as environment regulations. The BCC will be monitoring the site, and whether it can effectively help to reduce regulatory burdens, over the next few months.

We would urge you to submit your thoughts, and pass this on to interested members so that they can also tell the government about the specific regulations that stop them growing or improving their businesses. To view a list of what will be available for comments and when, click here. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact Abigail Morris.