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National Accident Prevention Strategy
28 April 2026
Lead MP
Andrew Mitchell
Sutton Coldfield
Con
Responding Minister
Lilian Greenwood
Tags
Social CareEconomyEmploymentTransportAgriculture & Rural Affairs
Word Count: 7672
Other Contributors: 7
At a Glance
Andrew Mitchell raised concerns about national accident prevention strategy in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Mitchell called for a national accident prevention strat [5D [K strategy led by the Cabinet Office to co-ordinate efforts across various de [2D [K departments. He requested that Becky Hickman and RoSPA produce a report out [3D [K outlining what such a strategy might look like, based on clear principles i [1D [K including ministerial leadership, focus on prevention, better data use, pri [3D [K prioritizing those at risk, and sustained public education.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Andrew Mitchell highlighted the growing crisis of pr [2D [K preventable accidents in the UK, citing a significant rise in accidental de [2D [K death rates and hospital admissions. He noted that Birmingham experiences o [1D [K one of the highest numbers of accidental deaths annually, with over 550 fam [3D [K families losing loved ones each year due to preventable accidents. National [8D [K Nationally, accidental death rates have increased by more than 40% over the [3D [K the past decade. Mitchell emphasized the human cost of these tragedies and [K the strain they place on healthcare services and the economy.
Adam Dance
Lib Dem
Yeovil
Mr Adam Dance pointed out the unique challenges face [4D [K faced by rural communities in accident prevention, including isolation, poo [3D [K poor signal coverage, dangerous roads, and agriculture as Britain's most pe [2D [K perilous industry. He urged that any national strategy must address ruralit [7D [K rurality with adequate public health funding.
Edward Morello
Lib Dem
West Dorset
Mr Edward Morello discussed the fatal accident invol [5D [K involving Benedict Solly on the A37 near Cerne Abbas. He argued that decisi [6D [K decision-making based solely on historical collision data is inadequate and [3D [K and called for a wider dataset to inform preventive interventions.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
He highlighted the need for a national accident prev [4D [K prevention strategy that extends beyond road safety to include other areas [K such as falls and workplace accidents. He noted that while transport-relate [16D [K transport-related accidents have fallen by 17% over two decades, fall incid [5D [K incidents among elderly constituents are up by 90%, making up 46% of all ac [2D [K accidents.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon highlighted the rise in fatal accidents [K in Northern Ireland, noting a rate of 39 deaths per 100,000 compared to the [3D [K the UK average of 34. He emphasised that almost 900,000 people are admitted [8D [K admitted to hospital annually due to accidents and stressed that those livi [4D [K living in deprived areas are nearly twice as likely to be killed in an acci [4D [K accident. Shannon discussed specific risks on farms, such as falls from roo [3D [K roofs and exposure to toxic gases like slurry tank fumes.
Joe Morris
Lab
Hexham
Emphasised the unique challenges of rural areas in a [1D [K accident prevention and called for appropriate steps to be taken in road sa [2D [K safety and workplace safety.
Lee Pitcher
Labour [7D [K (Labour
Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Mr Lee Pitcher highlighted a gap in water safety int [3D [K interventions, which are often reactive rather than preventive. He mentione [8D [K mentioned the tragic death of a young boy in Yorkshire and is working on Sa [2D [K Sam's law to develop a clear, risk-based approach for water safety. Asked the Minister to remember those lost at work on [2D [K on International Workers' Memorial Day, promoting strong mental health inte [4D [K interventions for employers.
Sarah Olney
Lib Dem
Richmond Park
Sarah Olney highlighted the importance of mitigating [10D [K mitigating road traffic collisions and water safety risks, especially aroun [5D [K around Teddington lock on the River Thames. She mentioned a fatal incident [K at Sunbury to warn young people about the dangers of playing near locks. Ol [2D [K Olney also praised the British Standards Institution for its work in develo [6D [K developing standards that mitigate accident risk. She called for a national [8D [K national accident prevention strategy as advocated by the Royal Society for [3D [K for the Prevention of Accidents, and stressed the need for investment in pu [2D [K public health initiatives to enhance wellbeing and reduce NHS burdens.
Government Response
Lilian Greenwood
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, [K Dr Murrison. I thank the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir Andrew [6D [K Andrew Mitchell) for securing this debate. I am pleased to respond on behal [5D [K behalf of the Government. The Minister responsible for road safety acknowle [8D [K acknowledged the impact of accidents and fatalities on individuals and thei [4D [K their families, paying tribute to the right hon. Gentleman's efforts in rai [3D [K raising awareness. She highlighted the multi-faceted nature of accident pre [3D [K prevention across various sectors such as roads, housing, health, workplace [9D [K workplace safety, education, and product regulation. The Department for Tra [3D [K Transport published a new road safety strategy with ambitious targets to re [2D [K reduce fatalities by 65% and serious injuries by 70% for children by 2035. [K The Minister outlined several measures including consultations on minimum l [1D [K learning periods, lower drink-drive limits, mandatory eyesight testing, har [3D [K harnessing technology and data, strengthening enforcement, and implementing [12D [K implementing a national road safety board. She also addressed housing safet [5D [K safety improvements through the decent homes standard, new fines for landlo [6D [K landlords with serious hazards, and actions on recommendations from the Gre [3D [K Grenfell inquiry report to build a more robust regulatory system. In health [6D [K health, falls technologies were highlighted as promising in reducing falls [K by up to 49% in care homes. The Employment Rights Act 2025 was mentioned as [2D [K as an upgrade to workers' rights, including statutory sick pay from day one [3D [K one and limits on non-disclosure agreements to promote learning instead of [K silencing incidents. The Minister also discussed workplace safety initiativ [9D [K initiatives like public awareness campaigns for ladder and power tool use, [K and the importance of health and safety representatives in trade unions. Sh [2D [K She acknowledged the risks in agriculture and construction, particularly ru [2D [K rural areas, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Educational s [1D [K settings were addressed through food safety advice webpages and choking pre [3D [K prevention measures. The Minister concluded by paying tribute to charities, [10D [K charities, volunteers, and campaigners involved in accident prevention, not [3D [K noting the human and economic costs highlighted by RoSPA's annual review.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.