HC Deb 05 June 1984 vol 61 cc139-40
1. Mr. Lofthouse

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in which areas of the work of the Factory Inspectorate the proposed new factory inspectors will be employed.

The Minister of State, Department of Employment (Mr. John Selwyn Gummer)

The factory inspectors to be recruited from the current competition will be allocated to the inspectorate's field organisation. During and after their initial training the new inspectors will be visiting a wide range of industrial and other undertakings to give advice on health and safety and, where necessary, to enforce health and safety law.

Mr. Lofthouse

Will the new recruitment allow the inspectorate to achieve its previous target for inspections, which was 15 per cent. of establishments per annum?

Mr. Gummer

The inspectorate is able to cover the ground which it wishes and feels it necessary to cover, because of the quality as well as the number of inspections. The hon. Gentleman must take into account the new computer arrangements which make this possible.

Mr. Janner

Is the Minister aware that the shortage of inspectors is making the task of those who remain in office extremely difficult? May I have an assurance that the new inspectors will be allocated throughout the country, including Leicester? The three inspectors at Leicester have an impossible task in dealing with the sweat shops, and this is worrying all parts of industry in the county.

Mr. Gummer

I am sure that the hon. and learned Gentleman would wish the allocations to be made by the Health and Safety Executive. It will continue to do so where it feels that this is necessary. The change will mean that there will be more inspectors.

Mr. Evans

Despite the modest increase in inspectors, the levels in the field are still not up to those of 1979. Does the Minister agree that until we return to those levels the role of the inspectorate will not meet the requirements of a modern industrial society such as ours?

Mr. Gummer

If I thought that that were so, I should be recommending and encouraging an increase in numbers. I am concerned to ensure that the inspectorate does its job properly. I am convinced that it does and I am confident that it will have the resources to do so.

Mr. Budgen

Is my hon. Friend aware that in the west midlands the so-called sweat shops are now the largest single source of new employment? If he orders the inspectorate to crack down on them, he will substantially reduce employment opportunities.

Mr. Gummer

My hon. Friend should not be led down the confusing path taken by the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner), who continues to confuse the work of the Wages Inspectorate with the work of the Health and Safety Executive. There is a very low incidence of risk in the circumstances that he mentioned, because of the nature of the job. Those are not my views, but those of the Health and Safety Executive. I do not believe that the hon. and learned Gentleman knows better than the executive.