LORDS AMENDMENTS (Hansard, 3 November 1975)

§ Lord JACQUES

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I beg to move that this House doth not insist upon their Amendments Nos. 27 to 31 en bloc to which the Commons have disagreed for the Reason numbered 32. The effect of these Amendments was to retain the special provision for agriculture contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. These special provisions have the effect of practically excluding the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive from health and safety matters relating exclusively to 895 agriculture. They single out for special treatment the agricultural industry, as though for some obscure reason persons engaged in agriculture should be deprived of the protection offered to workers in other industries.

In some fields there is a greater accident rate in agriculture than there is in our factories. For example, during the years 1972 to 1974 inclusive, fatal accidents due to a fall from a ladder or stairs, fatal accidents due to electricity, fatal accidents due to poisoning or gassing, had a higher rate of incidence in agriculture than they had in factories. The agriculture Departments have not got the specialist facilities of the Commission and the Executive, which is a specialised functional body. Since the formation of the Executive in January 1975, the specialist inspectorates which previously worked in isolation have been able to share their experience and expertise. This is proving increasingly beneficial. Concentration of effort and resources, and cross-fertilisation of information and methods, are a sure prescription for progress in this area.

My Lords, the Government are well aware of the progress made in agricultural safety and health matters since the Act was passed, including the progress stemming from the work of the Farm Safety Steering Group, and the extension in the size of the agricultural safety inspectorate. These factors will be considered in the discussions which must take place between the Commission and the agriculture Ministers in order to decide what arrangements need to be made when the overall responsibility passes to the Commission. The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission has given an assurance that he is determined to maintain the momentum created in recent months by the work of the Farm Safety Steering Group.

The Commission propose to establish a number of advisory committees for the major industries, and have suggested that one of those should cover health and safety in agriculture. The chairman has said he would want to see the Farm Safety Steering Group continue its work until such time as it 896 might be carried forward for a more general arrangement acceptable to the agricultural industry.

My Lords, with those explanations, the other place rejected the Amendment. I recommend to your Lordships that this House should not insist upon this Amendment.