SAFETY first or freebies for private profit-making businesses?

City of York Council and the Health and Safety Executive are to offer "free" health and safety training to local businesses (Press January 11); this seems highly questionable to me.

Both organisations are I believe short on cashflow, the council complaining all the time, looking to cut jobs and services and the HSE short of inspectors to check out dangerous employers because of reduced funding from government.

So what cash are they using to fund free training for private and profit-making businesses? Our council taxes?

There must be almost a hundred registered training organisations in this area who, between them, can offer training in engineering, health care and health and safety and many other skills, are the council and HSE trying to undermine those businesses whilst helping others save their money?

Both HSE and council should stick to inspecting, regulating and advising, but not training.

Businesses requiring training should be directed to those already-established training organisations and should pay to access that knowledge like every one else in business.

The council could perhaps concentrate on looking after its own staff better, by implementing health assessments for night staff as was required in the Working Time Regulations of October 1, 1998; that would be a better use of council funds.

Paul W Cooper Kingsway West York
* A City of York Council spokeswoman said: "The Health and Safety Executive and local council enforcement officers do have a programme of inspection and enforcement.

However, it is also important to work with businesses to help reduce accidents and ill-health at work. Training and awareness weeks are a very cost effective method of achieving this.

"The safer community training will be carried out largely free of charge by large organisations with proven good health and safety records who wish to share their knowledge with smaller businesses.

"The initiative is a very good example of businesses and the Health and Safety-enforcing authorities working together to a common goal to reduce accidents and ill health at work."