Now that he is Prime Minister, what are we to make of David Cameron’s pre-election rhetoric about introducing changes to how the government handles health and safety issues?
Clearly any opinions expressed before the review has taken place are conjecture at best. However, we do have some pointers based on views expressed by those who are most intimately involved with the review, for example:
David Cameron’s View
Prior to the general election, David Cameron stated, “something 
has gone seriously wrong with the spirit of health and safety over the last decade”. He also said, “an ‘over-the-top’ health and safety culture has become embedded in the national way of life”.
More recently, the Prime Minister reiterated similar sentiments in the words, “The rise of the compensation culture over the last 10 years is a real concern, as is the way health and safety rules are sometimes applied.” He then went on to say, “We need a sensible new approach that makes clear these laws are intended to protect people, not overwhelm businesses with red tape.”
Lord Young’s View
Lord Young of Graffham is to head up the review. In regard to health and safety, Lord Young is quoted as saying, “Health and Safety regulation is essential in some industries but may well have been applied too generally and have become an unnecessary burden on firms, but also community organisations and public services. I hope my review will reintroduce an element of common sense and focus the regulation where it is most needed.”
Conservative Election Manifesto
You can read a more formal statement on the Conservative party’s approach from this extract from their Public Sector Election Manifesto.
HSE’s View