§ Dame Patricia Hornsby-Smithasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he has taken in respect of his Department's own industrial staff to ensure the effective supervision of the safe conduct of work, as required by the Construction (General Provisions) Regulations 1961.
§ Mr. RipponI have had an investigation made into the arrangements for the safety at work of directly employed industrial staff. As a result of this I have decided to appoint as soon as possible a full-time Safety Officer in each of the Ministry's regions in England, and also in Scotland and Wales. They will be responsible to a Chief Safety Officer at the Ministry's Headquarters in London. These officers will be responsible for advising on all aspects of accident prevention. They will arrange the training of supervisors in safe working methods and ensure compliance with statutory requirements through regular inspection of Works establishments. These measures have the strong support of the Trade Union Side of the Ministry's Departmental Joint Industrial Council.