Directors' duties Bill fails again

摘要

The second attempt to enshrine health and safety duties for company directors in law ended in failure because not enough MPs turned up for the debate to pass it on to the committee stage. In what was described by one MP as a "measured" three-and-a-half hour session on 4 March, Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn's Health and Safety (Directors' Duties) Bill was thoroughly debated, but because there were fewer than 40 MPs present the question was not resolved and the Bill was unable to be passed for Second Reading. The low turnout was described by one MP as "a sad reflection on the importance of this issue" among Members.