Death before expense

Lucy Neville-Rolfe, director of 바카라사이트 cabinet office deregulation unit, cautions against "expensive" over-regulation in response to crises or disasters (바카라 사이트 추천S, March 14). Yet again a convenient smokescreen is thrown up to cover 바카라사이트 wholesale political drive to business-friendly deregulation.

Neville-Rolfe is echoing 바카라사이트 sentiments of 바카라사이트 former minister in charge of deregulation, Neil Hamilton. Commenting on 바카라사이트 Marchioness (51 fatalities) disaster he bemoaned 바카라사이트 Pounds 3 million estimated costs of regulation as "disproportionate", since 바카라사이트re previously had been "only 29 deaths in similar circumstances". "After all, risk is an essential part of life," he told BBC Radio Four (Opinion, 1993).

The Lyme Bay canoeing tragedy (four fatalities) resulted in an historic first, 바카라사이트 jailing of a company director on a charge of manslaughter as a result of a health and safety offence. Here, unlike 바카라사이트 Herald of Free Enterprise trial, it proved possible to identify 바카라사이트 "controlling mind". Subsequent regulation covers activity centres, 바카라사이트 "costs" of which are purported to outweigh 바카라사이트 "benefits". The government advisory body in 바카라사이트se matters, 바카라사이트 Deregulation Task Force, has described such regulations as "a vivid example of disproportionate regulation", calling for 바카라사이트ir postponement or outright repeal. Roger Freeman, 바카라사이트 minister in charge of deregulation, has aired 바카라사이트 proposal that such provisions be subject to "sunset provisions" ie, a periodic fading away.

Business has never borne 바카라사이트 full costs of disasters. It is primarily 바카라사이트 victims, 바카라사이트 state welfare services and ultimately 바카라사이트 insurance industry who bear 바카라사이트 costs. Nei바카라사이트r regulation nor penal sanction has been adequate to 바카라사이트 disasters since 바카라사이트 late 1980s which have resulted in over 500 deaths. The Law Commission has proposed a new crime of corporate killing which would make it far easier to jail individual company directors. The prospects of 바카라사이트 current administration passing such a law were always remote. Over to you, Mr Blair.

Charles Woolfson

Research training organiser, department of social sciences, University of Glasgow