Health and Safety Commission

HC Deb 01 May 1984 vol 59 cc173-4

2. Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will increase the funding of the Health and Safety Commission.

Mr. Gummer

The provision in estimates and cash limits for the Health and Safety Commission for 1984–85 is £2,695,000 above the cash limit for 1983–84.

Mr. Dixon

Is the Minister aware that that is inadequate? Is he further aware that in 1974, when the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act was passed, a promise was made to increase the inspectorate by 50 per cent. to cover the extra work created by the Act—a promise that was repeated in 1975 by the Minister's predecessor in a Tory Government? Why does he now talk about these cash limits when he knows that they are inadequate to carry out the job that the inspectorate is supposed to do?

Mr. Gummer

The resources for the Health and Safety Commission now are much more than they were under any Government whom the hon. Gentleman supported.

Mr. Lyell

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that our representation on European committees on health and safety is thought to be rather limited at the moment, and that our manufacturers of health and safety equipment are losing out for that reason?

Mr. Gummer

If my hon. and learned Friend has any specific evidence of that, I shall be delighted to look into it. The resources provided for the Health and Safety Commission have enabled it to bring in a new system of monitoring where hazards lie. That means that we make much better use of the inspectorate that we now have. I understand that a number of inspectors are being recruited.