Lord Advocate calls for extra powers over health and safety investigation

The prosecution service in Scotland needs the same statutory power to direct investigations for health and safety regulators as it has for Police Scotland and SEPA, the Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC claimed today.

Speaking at the Crown Office and Health & Safety Executive’s Health and Safety Conference at Aberdeen University, Mr Mulholland said it was his view that additional powers would assist in ensuring the efficient investigation of cases.

He commented: "As the Audit Scotland report published this week showed, our cases are more complex than ever before.

"That has been the case for some time and is the reason that the Crown moved to set up the specialist Health & Safety Division within Crown Office.

"The division has held a conviction rate of 98% for the cases it has taken up. This shows that our expertise in this area has contributed in helping to create a safer workplace for people in Scotland. We are, however, not complacent and we will continue to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our work to help make Scotland a safer place."

Mr Mulholland added that it was vital that good health and safety practice was embedded across the public, private and third sector.

"We do not want to have to deal with the consequences of health and safety failures. It is better they don't happen in the first place", he said.