HSE announces appointment of new legal adviser

Date:

22 February 2010

Britain's health and safety at work watchdog has today unveiled its new chief legal adviser.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that barrister, Peter McNaught, will take over the role of Legal Adviser when Alex Brett-Holt retires in March.

Former William Hulme's Grammar School student Peter, 50, lives in Altrincham, Cheshire, with his wife and three children. He graduated in law from Birmingham University and worked for the Crown Prosecution Service for 24 years, before joining HSE as Head of Enforcement and Litigation in 2008.

He will be responsible for HSE's 27-strong legal unit, overseeing the prosecution of more than 1000 offences a year, giving legal advice on all aspects of the organisation's work and drafting new legislation.

HSE's new chief legal adviser, Peter McNaught

Peter said:

"Every year, hundreds of people are killed doing their job and many thousands more are seriously injured. HSE exists to make British workplaces safer and healthier, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to play a central role in our work to secure justice for British workers.

"I am looking forward to my new and challenging role in HSE. Through our teams of in-house and external lawyers, I want to ensure that the organisation continues to be provided with high quality legal advice in all aspects of its work. Not only will this help HSE achieve its strategic goal of securing justice but also contribute in many other ways to its mission to prevent death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities."

Alex Brett-Holt became HSE's first female Legal Adviser in 2004. Before joining HSE, she worked in the Departments of Trade and Industry, Health and the Environment. Between 1987 and 1989 she was the President of the civil service trade union, the FDA.

Former chief legal adviser, Alex Brett-Holt

Alex said:

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my six years working with my many expert and committed colleagues in HSE. The highlight has been the opportunity to build a first class team of legal professionals in the northwest, following the decision to move to a single HQ in Bootle.

"Since Peter joined HSE in 2008, he has been a key element in creating the new enforcement team and I am confident of its continuing success. His new role as Legal Adviser to the Board and Senior Management Team will enable him to use his judgement and experience to contribute to the corporate governance of HSE, enabling it to achieve its strategy goals: in particular, securing justice for those whose health and safety is compromised by poor health and safety."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It works to prevent death, injury and ill-health to those at work and those affected by work activities. For more information about the work of HSE, visit www.hse.gov.uk
2. Legal enforcement is an integral part of HSE's work, with 600 cases prosecuted by the organisation in 2008/09, of which there were 548 cases (91%) where a conviction was secured against at least one breach of health and safety legislation. During that period, those organisations found guilty received fines totalling £12.4 million.

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