To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many health and safety at work stability duties are defined in legislation as (a) absolute and (b) qualified as duties reduced to what is (i) reasonably practicable, (ii) practicable, (iii) reasonable, (iv) appropriate, (v) suitable and (vi) adequate. (76598)

The key duties in the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, to protect people from harm, are qualified by the term “reasonably practicable”. However in Regulations made under the Act there are a number of specific duties that are absolute and others that are qualified by terms including “reasonable” and “practicable”. Guidance is used to explain what is needed in practice. In terms of the specific number of times each term is used to qualify a duty in the various statutory provisions, this information is not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.