---

Government Regulation

The hon. Gentleman is right to address the concern that small businesses can be heavily burdened by regulation from the Government, but we must remember that an employee’s safety is as important if they work for a small business as it is if they work for a large business. Again, it is a matter of striking the right balance. I accept that the ““reasonable adjustments”” enabled the size and scope of the business to be taken into account, but the extent of guidance provided with the 1995 Act effectively imposed a massive additional burden on businesses of all size. I was simply giving an example of a Conservative Government increasing the regulatory burden to give protection to disabled people, which we should all support.