MP raises death of Tata Steel worker in Parliament

An MP has called on the government to do all it can to keep people safe at work, after one of his constituents died earlier this year.

Kenneth Smart, 55, died at the Tata Steel site in Corby, Northamptonshire, on 13 January.

Lee Barron, the MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, asked the government to strengthen health and safety laws "in the name of Kenny, his community, his workplace and his family... so it never happens again".

Responding for the government, the Leader of the House of Commons, Sir Alan Campbell, paid tribute to Smart's family, who were watching from the public gallery.

Barron told the House of Commons that "nobody should go to work never to return home".

The Labour MP said that Smart's wife and son were watching from the gallery and they were determined that "no other family should go through what they have".

He said: "Health and safety isn't red tape, it isn't bureaucracy, it isn't a barrier to growth, it's what keeps people safe at work."

Campbell said "health and safety in the workplace is not an inconvenience; in workplaces good health and safety practices do save lives".

He added: "I will ensure that the relevant minister writes to him, to set out what further action the government intends to take."

The steel sector in Corby once employed thousands of workers, but the figure now is about 500.

Northamptonshire Police said it was continuing to investigate the incident, alongside the Health and Safety Executive.

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