PrintWeek's coverage of the government's ongoing Red Tape Challenge, along with its plans to cut the Health & Safety Executive's budget, has proved thought-provoking.

It reminded me about the Spending Challenge instigated just after the coalition came to power last year. I am disappointed that the government didn't immediately action my own suggestion, as (in my entirely biased opinion) it would have knock-on benefits in terms of red tape and health and safety too.

I'm of the belief that the single most useful thing the government could do (alongside tackling the deficit) would be to introduce some sort of "at own risk" legislation. The essence of this being that people would be required to exercise some common sense as they go about their day-to-day activities, instead of constantly blaming others for their own stupidity.

As I understand it on the continent various countries have something like this on the statute. It's why known-to-be-potentially-dangerous events like the running of the bulls in Pamplona, and the tomato festival in Bunol happen, whereas we ban cheese rolling.

Here in the UK the blame culture and resulting fear of legal action is crippling the country. Lawyers are laughing all the way to the bank while taxpayers and businesses pick up the tab. This past week a friend of mine has received multiple cold calls featuring a recorded message "about your recent accident" from some sort of no-win-no-fee law firm. He hasn't had an accident but no doubt some of the people who are on the receiving end of this message will be planning to trip over a paving slab as I type, while rubbing their hands in anticipation of a compensation cheque from the council.

Of course appropriate Health & Safety legislation is important, and I wouldn't want to see this country return to the sort of Dickensian safety standards experienced in, say, the Chinese mining industry. But a change in culture whereby we are all required to take responsibility for our personal actions would surely have wider benefits to business and society as a whole.