The Health and Safety Executive has postponed the launch of its new cost recovery scheme for at least six months.

The organisation planned to launch the Fee for Intervention scheme next month to recover costs from health and safety offenders. The money was to cover the cost of both investigations and enforcement action.

However, the HSE said this week that the scheme has been halted until at least October for further discussions to examine technical detail.

Gordon MacDonald, programme director, said the authority still intends to proceed with the scheme, which was recommended following a consultation last summer.

He said: ‘The government has agreed that it is right that those who break the law should pay their fair share of the costs to put things right - and not the public purse.’

The HSE will use the extra time to talk with businesses that may be affected.