Construction union UCATT have described the Government's announcement that they have ordered a major review of the Health and Safety Executive as "crass and cold hearted".

The announcement of the review by Employment Minister Mark Hoban was sneaked out on the day that Parliament prorogued. UCATT said the timing of the announcement is highly offensive as it comes just days before Workers Memorial Day, when workers throughout the country remember friends and colleagues who have been killed or injured at work.

The Department of Work and Pensions release about the review, said: "The first stage of the review will identify and examine the key functions of HSE. The review will assess how the functions contribute to the core business of HSE and DWP, and whether these functions are still needed.

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"If the conclusion is that the functions are still required, the review will then examine whether HSE as currently constituted remains the best way to perform those functions, or if another delivery method might be more appropriate."

Steve Murphy, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "The timing of this announcement could not be more offensive, coming on the eve of Workers Memorial Day. This is another crass and cold hearted attack on safety by a Government that is not interested in protecting the safety of workers.

"Since coming to power the Conservative-led Government has sought to undermine existing safety legislation. The HSE budget will be cut by 35% by 2015 and vital unannounced safety inspections have been ended in most industries. Earlier this month a raft of important safety legislation such as the Tower Crane Register and the Head Protection Regulations were scrapped by the Government."

(CD)