Appendix
A
Letter from the Inquiry Manager of the Committee
to the Department for Work and Pensions: Draft Legislative Reform
(Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008: request for information
After review of the above draft Order which was laid
before Parliament on 29 January 2008, the following questions
arise. I should be grateful if you would provide your reply to
these by 12 February.
Q 1 How are the three current HSC members
not appointed after consultation with employers and employees
chosen?
Q 2 The HSC is already a non-executive body.
Please explain further why (other than merely because of its nine
rather than 11 members) the current structure is considered not
to provide adequate scope for non-executive management input.
Q 3 What are the estimated costs of the merger?
Q 4 What were the exact dates of the HSC consultation?
Who were the consultees, and who responded?
Q 5 The ABI, the British Safety Industry Federation,
the British Safety Council and the Chartered Institute of Environmental
Health are notable as not having responded to either consultation.
Were any steps taken to try to elicit opinions from them?
Q 6 Were HSE employees, inspectors and officials
consulted?
Q 7 Is there any intention to review and consult
on the effectiveness of the proposals after an appropriate period
of implementation?
Q 8 Paragraph 3.7 of the August 2007 consultation
document states that "a few changes will be made to the functions
and powers of the new Executive". Are those changes limited
to the matters set out in paragraph 3.8 of that consultation document,
together with the proposed new size and composition of the HSE
Board? If not, what are the other proposed changes?
Q 9 Paragraph 11 of the explanatory document
says that comments were invited from parliamentary counsel. What
comments were received, if any?
Q 10 In order that the present proposal can
be put in context, please explain why the Health and Safety at
Work etc Act 1974 adopted a different model from that proposed
by the Robens report.
6 February 2008
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