Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of levels of compliance with health surveillance regulations by the construction industry.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not specifically assessed the construction industry’s overall level of compliance with health surveillance regulations. HSE focuses its occupational health strategies and interventions at the most significant causes of ill-health to make sure duty holders are adequately managing and controlling health risks at source. Health surveillance is one part of a health risk management system, and HSE’s assessment of duty holders’ health surveillance arrangements will reflect the risks involved, for example, HSE evaluates an applicant’s arrangements for statutory medical examinations as part of asbestos license applications. HSE also works with the wider construction industry to improve the industry’s occupational health performance across Great Britain.