§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that whatever cuts are made in the staff costs of the Health and Safety Executive the present strength of the field inspectorate of the Factory Inspectorate is not reduced.
§ Mr. MayhewThe implications of cuts in staff-related expenditure have not yet been determined.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide the percentage of factory inspections carried out by the field inspectorate of the Factory Inspectorate as a total of all inspections.
§ Mr. Mayhew: It is estimated that, of the routine inspections carried out by the general inspectorate field force of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate, 67 per cent. are paid to workplaces which are factories as defined in the Factories Act 1961 ; and 33 per cent. to construction sites, loading and unloading work at docks, ships under repair and other workplaces subject to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. A substantial part of 133W the time of inspectors is spent on other work such as investigating accidents, responding to requests for advice, and records are not kept in a form on which a similar estimate for this work could be based.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the figures for the Factory Inspectorate and support staff under the following headings (a) the field inspectorate, (b) specialist inspectors and scientists in the field, (c) specialist consultants at headquarters, (d) executive and clerical support staff in the field and (e) chief inspector headquarters.
§ Mr. Mayhew: On 1 April 1980 1,900 professional and support staff were in post in the Factory Inspectorate. There are 1,667 staff in the field force, which includes 156 specialist inspectors and scientists and 846 executive and clerical support staff. In the chief inspector's headquarters there are 233 staff, including 105 specialist consultants.