HL Deb 19 July 1979 vol 401 cc1611-2WA
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many:

  1. (a) deaths,
  2. (b) injuries
were caused by bulls between January 1974 and January 1979 or any other similar period.

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EMPLOYMENT (The Earl of Gowrie)

I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that information about accidents involving bulls is available only in respect of those accidents which occur during the course of agricultural operations and are reported to Her Majesty's Agricultural Inspectorate. Details of all such accidents between January 1974 and January 1979 are provided in the following table:—

ACCIDENTS IN AGRICULTURE IN GREAT BRITAIN INVOLVING BULLS JANUARY 1974–DECEMBER 1978
Year Fatal Accidents Non-Fatal Accidents Total Fatal and Non-Fatal
1974 3 47 50
1975 2 62 64
1976 1 50 51
1977 — 28 28
1978 4 34 38
TOTAL 10 221 231

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many (a) deaths, (b) injuries were caused by bulls between January 1974 and January 1979 or any other similar period in fields through which there was a public right of way, and how many of those deaths and injuries were attributed to beef breeds.

The Earl of GOWRIE

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that between January 1974 and January 1979, 10 fatal and 221 non-fatal accidents involving bulls were recorded by Her Majesty's Agricultural Inspectorate as having occurred during the course of agricultural operations.

Two of the fatal accidents occurred in open fields but neither involved beef breeds.

Twenty-seven of the 137 non-fatal accidents investigated by Her Majesty's Agricultural Inspectors occurred in open fields. Nine of these involved beef breeds.

It is not possible to say through how many of the fields concerned there was a public right of way. However, none of these accidents invoved members of the public as all were suffered by employees.