The Government will trial a helpline giving 'insured' advice to firms on how to comply with health and safety employment regulations.
It is one of several proposals made by Sarah Anderson in a review of government guidance, which the Government will now take forward.
The Government promised the helpline would complement existing information services provided by the HSE and Acas.
The Government also said that departments and regulators would remove legal disclaimers from new and updated guidance. However, it warned that businesses should be aware that their own circumstances may not be covered by guidance. And, while accepting a suggestion that regulators should not generally prosecute, or impose a punitive sanction where a business has followed its advice, the Government cautioned that immunity cannot be granted on offences yet to be committed.
In response to a call for inspectors to deliver sector-based guidance, the Government was less committed. While it recognised the benefits of such an approach, it underlined that it can also be "difficult for a single inspector to provide in-depth advice on all areas of regulation in sufficient detail". However, the Local Better Regulation Office is currently working on a common competency framework for LA inspectors, so that they have the skills to respond to the demands of the business.
Commenting on its response, the BERR minister, Stephen Carter, said "in the current economic climate it is more important than ever that we help reduce the time and money businesses spend on compliance with regulation".
But Phil Orford, chief executive of the Forum of Private Business, remains sceptical about the value of the helpline. He remarked: "Without an ongoing relationship and understanding of the business, 'insured' advice is no safe haven. Implementation is where the risk arises, and businesses are still on their own there. We won’t achieve certainty in regulation by duplicating work that is done adequately by the private sector".
It is one of several proposals made by Sarah Anderson in a review of government guidance, which the Government will now take forward.
The Government promised the helpline would complement existing information services provided by the HSE and Acas.
The Government also said that departments and regulators would remove legal disclaimers from new and updated guidance. However, it warned that businesses should be aware that their own circumstances may not be covered by guidance. And, while accepting a suggestion that regulators should not generally prosecute, or impose a punitive sanction where a business has followed its advice, the Government cautioned that immunity cannot be granted on offences yet to be committed.
In response to a call for inspectors to deliver sector-based guidance, the Government was less committed. While it recognised the benefits of such an approach, it underlined that it can also be "difficult for a single inspector to provide in-depth advice on all areas of regulation in sufficient detail". However, the Local Better Regulation Office is currently working on a common competency framework for LA inspectors, so that they have the skills to respond to the demands of the business.
Commenting on its response, the BERR minister, Stephen Carter, said "in the current economic climate it is more important than ever that we help reduce the time and money businesses spend on compliance with regulation".
But Phil Orford, chief executive of the Forum of Private Business, remains sceptical about the value of the helpline. He remarked: "Without an ongoing relationship and understanding of the business, 'insured' advice is no safe haven. Implementation is where the risk arises, and businesses are still on their own there. We won’t achieve certainty in regulation by duplicating work that is done adequately by the private sector".
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