§ 16. Mr. J. Rodgersasked the Minister of Labour what action he is taking to deal with the high rate of accidents in the building industry as reported in chapter 10 of the Chief Inspector of Factories' Report for 1955.
§ Mr. CarrIn addition to increasing the staff of the Factory Inspectorate, as recently announced, my right hon. Friend has decided to set up an advisory committee, under my chairmanship, representative of the organisations in the building and civil engineering industries primarily concerned. It is hoped that this committee will stimulate interest in these industries in problems of safety and health with a view to reducing the incidence of accidents and dangers to health.
§ Mr. RodgersIs my hon. Friend aware that the information which he has given will give great satisfaction to all sections in the House? Would he agree, since most of the firms in this industry employ twenty men or less, that the interest of these small firms should be kept clearly in mind?
§ Mr. CarrYes, Sir. I thank my hon. Friend for his first remarks and can assure him on the latter point. If we are to make progress here, we have to arouse the active interest of both sides of the industry, and we hope that this Committee will help to do that.