ADVENTUROUS ACTIVITIES & THE EU WORKING AT HEIGHT DIRECTIVE

Early day motion 789, tabled 8 March 2004 by Julian Lewis (Conservative). Signed by 85 members.

That this House is surprised and concerned at the attitude of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in respect of EU Directive 2001/45/EC laying down safety rules for working with ladders and ropes; notes the sensible approach of other EU countries, which realise that the Directive was never intended to cover outdoor adventurous activities such as rock-climbing, caving and mountaineering, let alone high-wire circus acts; deplores the failure thus far to rule such activities as being outside the scope of the proposed regulations; and accordingly calls on the HSE to abandon such gold-plating of sensible suggestions, which reduces them to absurdity.

Signatures by party: Conservative 48, Liberal Democrat 23, Labour 5, Independent Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 2, Labour/Co-operative 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.