Health And Safety At Work

EDM number 1427 in 2002-03, proposed by Brian H Donohoe on 17/06/2003.

That this House notes the findings of the recent National Audit Office report into violence against NHS hospital and ambulance staff, which states that although progress has been made through the NHS zero tolerance zone campaign, work still needs to be done to ensure the safety of public sector workers; further notes that in a survey by UNISON 90 per cent. of traffic wardens and parking attendants said they had suffered some form of workplace violence, during the previous 12 months, over 12 per cent. were injured, 7 per cent. requiring medical treatment and 7 per cent. had to take time off work because of their injuries; believes it is unreasonable that police officers and ambulance workers can be assaulted in the same incident but when their cases come to court they are treated differently, believes that all workers are entitled to feel safe at work, and know that they have the full backing of the law; and therefore calls on the Government to establish a new offence of assaulting a public sector worker in the course of their duty, so that all public sector workers can be granted the same safety rights as their colleagues in the police force.

This motion has been signed by a total of 113 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.