Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria the Health and Safety Executive applies when determining whether incidents involving falling objects from height in areas accessible to members of the public meet the threshold for inspection.

Decisions on whether to investigate incidents or concerns are made by selecting those where the risk is highest and where the greatest regulatory impact can be made with available resources within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

HSE use an evidence-based approach to select incidents for further enquires and investigation (this includes factors such as the vulnerability of the persons affected and the level of potential harm). This approach helps us to decide on the most appropriate type of intervention.