South: Conkers or bonkers?

Peter Henley Politics Editor BBC South

Your comments on the latest programme

Are Conker bans bonkers?

Slippers are not called slippers for nothing and most accidents happen in the home. Slippers caused 3,154 injuries in the last year of statistics collected by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

The humble tea cosy was responsible for a further 41 accidents.

And surely proof that it is difficult to legislate for danger - cotton wool caused a further 779 domestic disasters.

Some Councils in the South of England run slipper replacement programmes; practical help to keep elderly people safe.

But are we going too far in dictating that householders should fit anti-scald devices to taps?

Or that children should not play conkers in the playground?

Politicians of every hue are urging their parties to be bolder, more forthright and adventurous. But in the next breath they pass new laws regulating aspects of our life.

Meanwhile the media are on to the next scare - first dangerous dogs, now bird flu.

Are we creating a nation of panicking wimps?

It is an issue that troubles Dorset MP Oliver Letwin: "Modern childhood is becoming a breeding ground for obesity and allergy", he says.

"Efforts to keep children wrapped in cotton wool to avoid risk is a certain recipe for long-term damage."

The cancellation of school trips is evidence, he says, of a corporate withdrawal from risk.

The rising cost of insurance is forcing the cancellation of carnivals and charity concerts.

And a compensation culture is costing the NHS a fortune, up from £53m in 1990 to £477m now.

It is argued that some new regulations may just push the problem around.

Speed restrictions on the railways have kept their passengers safer, but by making the service less convenient may have forced the danger on to the roads instead.

On the other hand, the simple improvements to things like the design of children's toys has saved hundreds of lives.

Totally unnecessary heartache has been eliminated by the application of common sense.

Most people now understand the risks of smoking, and support moves to prevent people damaging their health in this way.

Fireworks cause serious nuisance, and serious injury every year, despite all the warnings.

Politics Show South debates the rights and wrongs of risk.

We are talking about health and safety to the skateboarders who have broken bones in every limb and debating the nanny state with the President of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Politics Show

Have you got horror stories of crazy warnings? Has health and safety gone too far?

Or have you been caught out by an unsafe situation that ought to be better regulated?

Send us an e-mail and we will raise the issue on the programme.

That is Politics Show South with Peter Henley, live from the White Air extreme sports festival in Sandown on the Isle of Wight, at Noon on 30 October 2005 on BBC One.

Let us know what you think.

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