In what could be seen as a swipe at Lord Young, the TUC has called on the Government to appoint a health and safety tsar dedicated to championing the cause.

The Government should be concentrating on trying to keep those currently vulnerable to long-term sick leave in work, rather than focusing on getting people who are already on long-term benefit back in employment.

The Ministry of Justice could find itself at the centre of a policy battle on how to tackle the perceived compensation culture.

The Government is seeking views on whether legislation covering the ‘right to request time to train’ should be repealed, retained for large organisations, or extended to small and medium-sized organisations, as planned.

The Government is forging ahead in its war on red tape with the announcement that all new proposed regulation will be independently scrutinised to determine whether or not it will be taken forward.

Construction union UCATT believes the Government is planning to renege on a commitment by the previous Labour administration to fund medical research into the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.

The cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme could increase the risk of children, teachers and support staff being exposed to asbestos, TUC union officials have warned.

Construction union UCATT has rejected a new report into the effectiveness of the voluntary HSE/IoD code on directors’ duties, describing the evaluation approach as flawed.

New powers to help inspectors crack down on dangerous trucks and coaches have been set out by the Department for Transport.

The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) wants businesses to let it know to what areas of enforcement local authorities should pay most attention.