The Independent article "Merciless torrent of new regulations"

The Editor
The Independent 21 August 2006

Sir,

I sympathise with Dorothy Olmer's plea about the merciless torrent of new regulations (Letters, 21 August) but in citing as an example the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) she has simply got her facts wrong.

First, we do not make up new rules without supervision: all our regulations are approved by Parliament.

Second, there is not really a torrent: over the last 30 years we have more than halved the pieces of legislation for which we are responsible. This year we have cut the forms we require by half.

Third, health and safety laws do have an impact. Last week we announced a record low level of fatalities; the best record in Europe.

Jonathan Rees,
Deputy Chief Executive
HSE
Rose Court
2 Southwark Bridge
London SE1 9HS