2. The health and safety inspection and enforcement regime

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Key changes and developments since last year

• unions have welcomed the findings of a review of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE);

• a new Joint Regulators Group will enforce building regulations and fire safety;

• several reports have highlighted falling levels of health and safety inspections and prosecutions;

• the hourly rate for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) cost recovery scheme, Fee for Intervention, has increased from £129 to £154;

• the level of health and safety fines has levelled off following large increases over the last two years as a result of Sentencing Council guidelines introduced in February 2016;

• new Sentencing Council guidelines for gross negligence manslaughter offences came into effect in November 2018, recommending prison sentences of up to 18 years;

• a new Culpable Homicide Bill introduced in the Scottish parliament aims to “plug the justice deficit”.