‘COMPENSATION CULTURE’ IS THREAT TO MINERS’ GALA
Helen has warned during a House of Commons debate that concerns over a ‘compensation culture’ should not be allowed to endanger community events, such as those linked to the famous Durham Miners’ Gala.
Helen was speaking during a debate on the Government’s Compensation Bill, which aims to prevent fears of a compensation culture damaging community life in Britain.
Speaking in the debate, Helen said “The annual Miners’ Gala is a wonderful cultural festival, rooted in the history and traditions of Durham. However, village events are currently threatened by the dreaded compensation culture.
“This threat exists because so called ‘healthy and safety experts’ in the local police or County Council have deemed it necessary that notices of road closures must be put up two or even three weeks beforehand, even though the parades last just 20 minutes.
“If that wasn’t enough, these notices must be made to a particular specification by a traffic management company and then put up by trained operatives, because of the alleged risk to ordinary people of crossing the road to do this.
“The cost of this is proving to be astronomical. After last year’s Gala I received a list of complaints about this so a survey was done across the county through the County Durham Association of Local Councils.
“This found that the costs ranged into hundreds of pounds, for example £294 in Shildon and a staggering £1,580 plus VAT in Peterlee.
“The problem not only exists during the Miners’ Gala, but also at traditional village carnivals and Remembrance Day services in rural areas like Teesdale.
“The difficulty we must face is that the health and safety experts and legal advisers look only at the risks, possible problems and costs. No account is taken of the benefits. Not only are we destroying enjoyable days out, we are also destroying communities.
“Communities are like families – if they are to know each other, they must meet and do things together. This is the way to maintain social cohesion and keep down crime. Today we are in the crazy situation of paying for community development officers and extra policing while destroying the home grown natural community builders and initiatives.”
The Government’s Compensation Bill will pass through the House of Commons today at the second reading stage, and then be considered at the committee stage.
The Bill is one of a number of initiatives being pursued by the Government to prevent a compensation culture from developing, to tackle perceptions that could lead to a disproportionate fear of litigation and to risk-averse behaviour, to discourage and resist bad claims and to improve the system for those with a valid claim for compensation.
A short Government explanation of the Bill can be found here.
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 8th, 2006
