§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many Government safety inspectors are employed in checking equipment and safety procedures on drilling rigs, production platforms and laying and lifting barges; how many visits were math to each such installation or vessel in 1977; and whether there have been any changes in average time spent on inspection.; in the last year.
§ Dr. Mabon:There are currently 11 inspectors of the Department of Energy who 159W spend most of their time visiting drilling and production installations on the United Kingdom continental shelf. Eight more are also involved in other aspects of safety and control and visit these installations when required. During 1977 173 visits were made for inspection purposes. This equates to an average of between two and three visits a year to each installation. There has been little change in the average time spent on inspections in the last year, a typical inspection taking between three and seven hours.