HC Deb 13 June 1951 vol 488 cc2471-80

Motion made, and Question proposed. "That this House do now adjourn."—[Mr. Delargy.]

11.33 p.m.

Dr. Hill (Luton)

I desire to raise the not unimportant question of the factory inspectorate in this country, that body which is concerned in working establishments other than this with the welfare, health and safety of those working therein. I will not weary the House with a description of the work of the inspectorate, because on this aspect there are few hon. Members who would not join me in saying what an important part they play in the industry of this country. I want, in the first place, to make the point that this inspectorate is seriously understaffed. At the end of 1949 the inspectorate was 50 short of its establishment of 379 in all groups. At the beginning of May it was 57 under establishment. I believe that there has recently been some recruitment and that the position at present is that the deficit has fallen to or is likely to fall to 42. That means a deficit of about 40 on a normal establishment of 379.

I believe that the remuneration is a not unimportant factor in the position. About six of the most senior officers of the inspectorate are covered by the Chorley Award to senior civil servants, but the remainder are not. On 10th April I put a Question to the then Minister of Labour about the position and was told that the remuneration for the most senior level was £1,250 a year rising by increments of £50 yearly to £1,450, and the remuneration for the most junior level—in the question of attracting recruits to the service it is the remuneration at the level of the scales of entry that plays the more important part—was £350 a year at the age of 21 rising by annual increments of £25 to £475 a year at the age of 26 and thereafter by the same increments to £600 a year.

Those are the scales in London. Those for the provinces are about £80 less for the most senior grade and about £30 less for the most junior grade. I would remind the House that 75 per cent. of the inspectorate are employed outside London. The position at the beginning of April—I base this upon the reply given to my Question—was that the remuneration for the more senior officers was between 28 and 32 per cent. above the pre-war level and for the junior level 25 to 28 per cent. above the 1939 remuneration, but that was the remuneration calculated upon the maximum of the scale.

Mr. A. Edward Davies (Stoke-on-Trent, North)

How many fall within the senior and the so-called junior categories?

Dr. Hill

There are about 12 in the senior category and in the region of 100 in the junior category. The majority of the inspectorate are in the intermediate grades. I stress the point that even if we take the maximum of the scale the remuneration was between 24 and 32 per cent. above the pre-war levels, which is in itself an indication of inadequacy, although the maximum of the scales rather conceals the position. I have here a letter in which a non-medical factory inspector in the middle grades refers to his own position. It says: My own case is a typical example of the position of the middle group of inspectors. Had there been no war or rise in the cost of living, I should now be earning £650 a year by the 1938 scale. Actually, including all cost of living consolidations, I get £770, 18 per cent. over the pre-war remuneration. I am not going to weary the House by explaining how this comes about. The Treasury is expert at applying a new scale to existing officers so as to achieve the least possible increase of expenditure.

Mr. Douglas Houghton (Sowerby)

It has been doing that for a number of years.

Dr. Hill

Comparison of pre-war and post-war scales is misleading, for it gives too generous an impression of its application to the new personnel, and, after all, that is what really matters. I gave the remuneration as on 10th April, because in the last few weeks there has been a new offer. I understand that this offer is to men only. At any rate, the women factory inspectors have heard nothing of an offer to them. I have no doubt that the offer embodies the principle of unequal pay for equal work. But that is another subject which perhaps will be dealt with more fully by other hon. Members.

I have worked out the new offer in relation to the maximum to the middle of the scale. I find that it means for the superintendent inspector, the senior grade, a 9.2 increase over 1946; for the intermediate grades, an increase of 5 per cent. and 6 per cent., respectively; and for the junior grade, nothing, for they got something through an arbitration award last year, that "something" being embodied in the scale which I have already mentioned for the junior grade.

Mr. Houghton

Women and children last.

Dr. Hill

One may ask why the senior grades got most. Well, the breezes of Chorley blew warm over the senior grades, but they blew more Arctic over the middle and junior grades. The factory inspectorate is getting 20 per cent. to 25 per cent. more than before the war. This is not a party matter, and I think that every hon. Member will agree that this is not only a poor recognition of an important body of men, but that it is beggarly in its practical application.

Mr. Houghton

That is common to the whole of the Civil Service.

Dr. Hill

The hon. Member for Sowerby must rejoice over this opportunity to turn the attention of the House to a portion of the Civil Service.

Mr. Houghton

I am rejoicing. I say that the grievance of the factory inspectorate is the grievance of the whole of the Civil Service.

Dr. Hill

Time is short. In the circumstances, let me stick to this case. In these circumstances, it is not surprising that there is a deficit in the personnel of the factory inspectorate, and it is not surprising that increasing difficulty is being experienced over getting men and women of the right experience—not only academic and technical experience, but practical experience of industry. I say no more about equality, because I know that my hon. Friend in a professional sense at any rate, the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Dr. Stross) hopes that he may catch your eye, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, for a brief word on the importance of the work.

Only 57 per cent. of the visits needed annually were paid to the factories of this country last year because of the shortage of medical inspectors. The number of factories which it falls to them to inspect has risen from 173,000 before the war to 208,000, and yet only 57 per cent. of that large total is being covered. I ask the Parliamentary Secretary—and I know that he recognises the great importance of this work—whether he thinks that this latest offer can, by any stretch of the imagination, be regarded as fair or reasonable, or likely to attract recruits to the service.

I would put to the Parliamentary Secretary another reason for this shortage of personnel. There is not sufficient recognition of the professional status of the medical inspectors of factories, and if I may say so, I think that the evidence which the Department gave to the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal was a remarkable example of the official mind. It was that, although these men—and women—were required, so far as possible, to have all the qualifications, once they were in and doing the work, the Department argues that as they are not engaged in the day to day specialist work, but in day to day executive work, then they should be regarded as within the executive class. That, I would remind the House, is recruited at the age of 18.

I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to agree that when recruitment is made from people of a very specialised experience they should be paid in the light of that experience which they are called upon to have, and that we should hear less of the argument that, not being executive, they should be regarded as part of the executive class. I hope that the Parliamentary Secretary will not answer just in general terms and speak of alterations which may be made in the distant future; because there is a shortage of men for work which is underpaid and insufficiently recognised; and at this time, of all others, we should recognise the part which they play not only in getting satisfaction of the minimum standards, but in educational and advisory work. The factory inspector has acquired a very high place in industry on all sides, and it would be a very grave thing for this generation beginning to develop if the present fine record was made to suffer for the reasons I have given. We need men, and action, soon.

11.49 p.m.

Dr. Barnett Stross (Stoke-on-Trent, Central)

There are many people who cannot understand why this branch of the service connected with the prevention of accidents and industrial disease should be looked upon as the Cinderella of the service. I am not speaking of individual salaries paid to members of individual staffs, but I want to consider the wider aspect. A total of 379 devoted men and women having to look after 208,000 odd establishments at a total expenditure of £453,000 means that the care of the average worker costs us 25s. a year, on average. That is not good enough and, put in that way, we must see that these people do not receive the attention which they merit at our hands.

I have no words too high in praise for the devoted work which these people do. Living, as some of my hon. Friends have done, in Stoke, we know that the inspector is the very closest friend and ally of the working-class population at its work. They have to do incredible things with their time in view of the paucity of their numbers. Not only have they to look after the 810 factories, but they must investigate, on an average, 10 accidents each week, investigate new diseases, inspect hours of work, and conduct a tremendous amount of education, particularly to those who come from abroad and who, strangely enough, admire the quality of our work, for I am compelled to feel, in view of the way we treat our inspectorate, conditions abroad are bad indeed.

Improvement is steadily occurring, and I not only have to give a mead of praise, but every possible praise to the inspectors. The liaison, as has been said by the hon. Member for Luton (Dr. Hill), between the inspectorate and the employers and the workers is better than ever before. There is co-operation such as we have never known in the past, but there are still bad employers who must be helped, there are still bad establishments, and there are still many accidents which should never occur. For example, there are some 30,000 accidents a year associated with machinery which is moved by power. In every case it is probably a breach of the regulations that accidents occur for the code is very strict. This code is a criminal code and any infringement of it is a breach of the law.

The inspectorate do their best, but they are not in enough numbers to work properly. Anything we can do to assist them by asking the Minister and the Government to double and treble their numbers in the next few years would be doing something essentially good for all our people throughout the country. I said at the beginning that we think this is treated as the Cinderella of the service, and I shall finish by asking the Minister to recognise—I think he will agree—that we want it to be turned now into the fairy princess.

11.52 p.m.

Mr. Malcolm MacPherson (Stirling and Falkirk Burghs)

I am glad to have the opportunity of adding my voice for just one minute to the debate. We are all concerned about the importance of the work the inspectorate is doing, and we are all a bit worried at the fact they are short-staffed and over-worked. It is essential we should try to bring them up to strength. I suggest it is not wise to concentrate simply on salary. After all, these people are in the main drawn from a total class—university graduates generally—which as a total class is in short supply, and if we try to bring in more of these same people we shall be filling up the factory inspectorate by leaving gaps elsewhere.

I suggest to my hon. Friend that he should consider widening the range of people who come in. In particular, I would suggest that the standard top age of entry which, I understand, is still advertised as 30 years, could very well be considerably raised and I would suggest—I will not develop this now because of time—that he might try to extend the range and type of persons he recruits.

11.54 p.m.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (Mr. Frederick Lee)

I am obliged to the hon Member for Luton (Dr. Hill) for giving me some indication of the type of matter he wished to discuss. Let me say at once that I agree with him as to the fine quality of the work which this inspectorate are performing and at the splendid way in which they have adapted themselves to the new conditions which we now have for industry. I think it was not very long ago they used to be looked upon as interfering bureaucrats, whereas these days they have acquired a good bed-side manner which, I think, the hon. Member will agree is worthy of the very highest praise.

Turning to the particular points raised. I agree at once that the recruitment to the inspectorate since the war has not as yet filled the large number of vacancies which has accumulated from 1939–1945 during which time recruitment was suspended. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Dr. Stross) that it was not a question merely of remuneration that has kept the inspectorate below strength. There is the fact that for the period of the war recruitment was suspended, and it has taken quite a long time to build up the position where, as now, we are 40 below establishment. In 1947, for instance, there were 90 vacancies, and this number has been gradually reduced to 40. In addition, a further six people have already been offered work, and I take it therefore that in the very near future we will be reduced to a deficiency of 34.

We have this year two open competitions, one of which is at present in progress. One hundred and nineteen candidates will be summoned for interview this month, and it is hoped that the outstanding vacancies will be substantially reduced during 1951. From the figure I have given of 119 candidates who aspire to this very important work, the hon. Member for Luton will know that there is no shortage of applications for these vacancies, but he would agree with me that it is important that we should maintain the high standard of efficiency for which the service is rightly admired. We believe that at the pace at which we have been lessening the gap in our shortage, before very long we will, so far as intake is concerned, reach the numbers required.

Dr. Hill

I believe that in the old days the average age was about 28, most of the graduates having got actual experience in the works. Is it not true that now the average age of applicants and appointed persons is much lower?

Mr. Lee

I could not answer without notice. I will write to the hon. Member on that point.

Normal requirements are between 15 and 20 annually, and I believe that once the backlog is cleared we should not have a lot of difficulty in obtaining that number. The hon. Member endeavoured to relate the recruitment difficulties to inadequate salaries, and I should like to say a few words on this aspect.

Mr. Harmar Nicholls (Peterborough)

The Parliamentary Secretary said that the efforts to bring the inspectorate up to establishment may soon be successful, but does he take into account that the number of factories is increasing and that for this reason the strength of the establishment ought to be reconsidered?

Mr. Lee

I am speaking of the present maximum of the establishment. The point which the hon. Member raises is a quite different issue.

The structure and salary scales of the inspectorate were reviewed in 1946 with the object of providing conditions and salaries appropriate to the changed post-war circumstances. This review was designed to provide an attractive career structure related to the long-term recruitment needs of the Inspectorate. Improved salary scales following this review were announced in 1947 and were back-dated to 1st January, 1946. The increases on the pre-war scales ranged from 28 to 32 per cent. in the London area.

I will quote an example taken at random. A male Inspector in Class 1A who in 1938 received a starting salary of £545 per annum, rising to £980 per annum, would as a result of the 1946 revision receive a starting salary of £800, rising to £1,160. In 1949, the appropriate staff association claimed further salary increases and the matter was referred to the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal in 1950. The Tribunal found that the claim had not been established, but awarded improved starting rates for new entrants. A young man of 25 entering the Inspectorate would now start on a salary of £450, as against £385 prior to the 1950 award. In February of this year, the staff association tabled a further claim for increases, and, as the hon. Member for Luton knows, discussions on their proposals are about to take place.

The final point made by the hon. Member was whether too great a burden of work was placed on too few inspectors. It is, of course, inevitable that with 40 vacancies out of a comparatively small number of inspectors, the full normal inspection programme of the Department cannot be carried out.

I agree that the inspectors must therefore assign priorities for their work so as to devote as much attention as possible to those factories and other premises subject to the Acts, which are in special need of observation and help because of the nature of the processes carried on. I am not able, speaking in this House, to question the merits of the services which have been given by arbitrators or the ability of the negotiation on both sides. I agree that in these days the particular type of people of whom we stand in need in the Inspectorate are also in great demand in industry for other very important work, and that this is bound to have its effect.

I agree that if we compare the increasing wage rates and salaries in very many industries with the increases for the factory inspectors it does not look as if they have kept pace with the others. As my hon. Friend said, it is not only the question of factory inspectors. This question is peculiar to the Civil Service, and they have had increases in conjunction with the people whom my hon. Friend usually represents.

I should like to express pleasure that the House is taking an interest in this very important type of work. Generally speaking, inside or outside the House I am all for better wages and conditions of employment of all types, but I cannot go too far in that direction now or I should find myself in all sorts of difficulties.

I yield second place to no one in my admiration for the work of factory inspectors. I hope we can continue to keep the high quality of the service. For that reason, I hope we are not to be driven into accepting any lower standards in the effort to get a larger number of people within the inspectorate itself.

In conclusion, I thank the hon. Member for Luton for raising this important matter and for the manner in which he has raised it. I hope that in a short time now we shall be able to get the maximum number of people into this service. I am sure that far from there being any question of the Ministry not looking upon this as an important matter we recognise very fully the very important part they are playing in helping to extend the safeguards of industry and improve its efficiency as a whole.

12.2 a.m.

Mr. H. Nicholls

In view of the fact that the number of vacancies now stands at 40—taking the present establishment—I think that we should face up to the fact that the present establishment is clearly out of date. My hon. Friend suggested that the number of factories had increased from 173,000 to 208,000. It is only right, therefore, that there should be a proportionate increase in the number of inspectors. We want, as the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Stross) very enthusiastically said, the number to increase to two or three times as many.

The Question having been proposed after Ten o'Clock on Wednesday evening, and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

Adjourned at Three Minutes past Twelve o'Clock a.m.