Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to respond to the European Commission's new Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020.

The government responded to the European Commission’s 2013 public consultation on a new policy framework for health and safety at work in the European Union. This emphasised the need for any new policy framework to have a focus on better regulation, supporting the single market and economic growth as well as sharing good practice between member states and supporting SMEs on risk management.

The government was therefore pleased to see the commitment to simplify EU health and safety at work legislation in the new EU Strategic Framework, and is continuing to engage with the Commission to help realise this aim. The government is arguing for more proportionate, risk-based approaches to EU workplace health and safety regulation to help businesses by reducing administrative burdens while maintaining necessary protections for workers.