Health and safety consultants have come under fire from the government, which is urging small employers to save more than £100m ($179m) a year by shunning fee-charging experts in favour of state-run advice.

Shriti Vadera, the business minister, told the FT: “Consultants play an important role in supporting business on health and safety regulation, but many businesses are paying for work that is not always necessary or could be done more effectively in-house.”