§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what estimate he has made of the annual cost to his Department of operating the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act; and how much of this is attributable to the steps that have had to be taken in relation to military firing ranges or danger areas in the United Kingdom;
(2) how many members of the general public have been killed or injured on military rifle ranges or danger areas in the United Kingdom in each of the past 20 years; and how many of these accidents have occurred at a time when the range in question was being used by a civilian rifle club;
(3) how many military rifle ranges in the United Kingdom have had to be closed as a result of the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act; which of these are to be reopened, and when; how much money has had to be spent to meet the provisions of the Act in each case; and how many members of the general public have been killed or injured in shooting accidents at these ranges in each of the past 20 years.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe Health and Safety at Work etc. Act placed upon the Ministry of Defence general duties which embraced previous obligations for health and safety. The costs arising specifically from the Act therefore cannot be differentiated readily from the 215W costs of health and safety generally. The costs attributable to measures concerned with health and safety for defence activities in general, and to safety measures on ranges in particular, are not separately identifiable. Similarly information on range closures and on the numbers of members of the general public who have been killed or injured on military rifle ranges or danger areas in the United Kingdom in the past 20 years is not held centrally and is therefore not readily available..