Cameron vows to tackle silly rules and regulations

London: The British government pledged on Friday to tackle the UK's "damaging" compensation culture with a shake-up of health and safety measures, including an end to "senseless" rules and regulations.

David Cameron said he hoped a review carried out by former Conservative minister Lord Young would prove to be a "turning point", with a new system being introduced to replace "unnecessary bureaucracy".

The move comes on the day Tate Modern stopped visitors from walking over its prestigious and popular new Sunflower Seeds artwork as intended because of health and safety fears over ceramic dust.

In a statement, the London art gallery said: "Tate has been advised that this dust could be damaging to health following repeated inhalation over a long period of time. In consequence, Tate, in consultation with the artist, has decided not to allow visitors to walk across the sculpture."

Cameron said the government would curtail the promotional activities of claims and management companies he said had helped fuel the compensation culture.

"We're going to focus regulations where they are most needed, with a new system that is proportionate, not bureaucratic, that treats adults like adults, and reinstates some common sense and trust," he said.

Business groups welcomed the review, but the TUC complained that the report did not contain a proposal that would reduce the high levels of workplace death, injuries and illness.

Growing fears

Young said that despite the success of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, the standing of health and safety in the eyes of the public had never been lower. There was a "growing fear" among business owners of having to pay out for even the most unreasonable claims, the peer said.

"Press articles recounting stories where health and safety rules have been applied in the most absurd manner, or disproportionate compensation claims have been awarded for trivial reasons, are a daily feature of our newspapers.

"Businesses now operate their health and safety policies in a climate of fear. The advent of ‘no win, no fee' claims and the all-pervasive advertising by claims management companies have significantly added to the belief that there is a nationwide compensation culture.

The ‘no win, no fee' system gives rise to the perception that there is no financial risk to starting litigation. Indeed, some individuals are given financial enticements to make claims by claims management companies who are in turn paid ever-increasing fees by solicitors. Ultimately, all these costs are met by insurance companies who then increase premiums."

Young said the system for claiming compensation was a growing industry and urged that the incentives for claiming compensation had to change.

— Guardian News & Media Ltd