§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer of 21 February, if he will make a statement on the letter of 20 February from Mr. D. O. Jenkins of the Health and Safety Executive to the North Shropshire district council to the effect that there was some doubts as to the precise meaning of schedule 1, paragraph 1, line 1, of the regulations.
§ Mr. John Grant, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 11–12], gave the following information:
I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the letter to which my hon. Friend refers was in answer to a request by the council for an opinion on a hypothetical case. As the paragraph to which my hon. Friend refers has not been interpreted by the courts, a qualified opinion had to be given.
If there is any doubt, in the case of particular premises, whether the local authority or the Health and Safety Executive is the proper enforcing authority, the Health and Safety Commission is empowered by the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations, 1977, regulation 6, to assign the responsibility for enforcement to whichever authority it considers appropriate.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the working of the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1977; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John Grant, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 114], gave the following information:
I am not aware of any serious difficulties arising out of the working of these regulations, but they are kept under 314W review by the Commission and Executive in consultation with the local authorities.