Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to work with local authorities to (a) promote good health at work and (b) ensure that workers are protected from work-related illness.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the lead regulator for work related ill health, which is one of the key themes in the health and safety system strategy Helping Great Britain Work Well’. HSE consulted and liaised with Local Authorities (LAs) in the development of the strategy. LAs have dual roles as regulators of workplace health issues within specified work sectors and as major employers in their own right.

HSE works with LAs, gathering information and developing delivery models so it can direct LA focus on health and safety regulatory activities via the National Local Authority Enforcement Code. HSE provides LAs with targeting advice and technical support to enable LAs to pursue the inspection and where necessary enforcement of nationally and locally identified significant workplace health issues.

LAs have a duty to protect their workers from work-related illness and many LAs have proactive workforce programmes to encourage good health. HSE has identified stress as one of the key areas where there is a need to pursue improvements and is consulting stakeholders, including LAs, to develop and refine this part of the work related ill health strategy.