§ 12. Mr. MadelTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he is considering any additional measures to try to reduce accidents at the place of work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThese are matters for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. My right hon. Friend has made available to it an additional f6.7 million for next year, which it will apply as it thinks best to further improvements in work-related safety and health.
§ Mr. MadelWhen will new regulations come into force on the use of chemical compounds and the monitoring of dust and fumes in factories? Will regulations come in which will reduce permitted noise levels in factories, bringing them down from 90 to 85 decibels?
§ Mr. NichollsA consultative document on the COSHH regulations is now with the Health and Safety Executive. It is considering its position on the matter and will shortly report to Ministers. The Health and Safety Executive published a consultative document on noise regulations on 15 December 1987. Representations can be made until 30 June. As my hon. Friend said, the effect of that will be to implement the European directive.
§ Mr. HefferDoes the Minister agree that the construction industry has one of the worst records of accidents and deaths at work? Does he further agree that that is due to the growth in self-employment of lump labour in the construction industry? Is it not time that the Government took some action about that and began to increase the number of factory inspectors, instead of reducing their numbers as they have done over the past few years?
§ Mr. NichollsI cannot agree with the hon. Gentleman's view of the virtues of self-employment or otherwise. Fatalities among employees at work are at an all-time record low. Factory inspectors' numbers will be increased by 60 in the current year. The number of inspectors as against the number of those who are to be inspected has remained roughly constant under this Government, as it did under the previous one.