Cameron aims to ‘kill off’ health and safety culture

PRIME Minister David Cameron said yesterday that his new year’s resolution was to “kill off the health and safety culture for good”.

Health and safety legislation has become an “albatross around the neck of British businesses”, costing billions of pounds a year and leaving entrepreneurs in fear of speculative claims, he said.

He announced plans to cap the amount which can be earned by lawyers from small-value personal injury claims against employers and to cut costs in cases funded by “no-win no-fee” deals.

He revealed he has asked the Health and Safety Executive to bring forward to the end of 2012 its timetable for abolishing or consolidating up to half of all existing regulations.

Speaking to small businesses in Maidenhead, Berkshire, the PM also warned that 2012 was going to be a “difficult year”.