§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of those placed under the youth opportunities programme or youth training scheme have been and will be placed in workplaces (a) which do not comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and 96W (b) about which he has no information concerning their compliance or otherwise with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInformation is not available in the form requested. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act requires employers to conduct their work activities in a manner that ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all employees and persons affected by the work activity. The Manpower Services Commission takes positive steps to ensure that sponsors are aware of these responsibilities.
§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many officers and at what levels of the Manpower Services Commission are specifically charged with the duty of (a) investigating the health and safety conditions at workplaces to which youngsters may be sent under the youth opportunities programmes and youth training schemes and (b) ensuring that such workplaces comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonStatutory responsibility for administering health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, rests with the Health and Safety Executive. Some 1,500 technical and executive staff in the Manpower Services Commission are currently involved in setting up and monitoring schemes, taking into account health and safety matters, under both the youth opportunities programme and the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that all those placed under the youth opportunites programmes and youth training schemes are in workplaces which comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Manpower Services Commission takes positive steps to remind employers providing places under both the youth opportunities programme and the youth training scheme of their responsibilities under health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what reponsibility he accepts for the health and safety of those placed under the youth opportunities programmes and youth training programmes;
(2) what statutory or contracted liability the Manpower Services Commission undertakes to take reasonable steps to guarantee the health and safety of those placed under the youth opporunities programmes and youth training schemes.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonIt is the responsibility of employers, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to ensure as far as reasonably practicable the health and safety of trainees who are placed in their premises both on the youth training scheme and the youth opportunities programme. Managing agents in the youth training scheme have a contractual responsibility to take necessary steps to secure the health, safety and welfare of all young people participating in the programme to the same extent and in the same manner as an employer is required to do in relation to his employees.
§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents have occurred involving people placed under the youth opportunities programmes 97W or youth training schemes during the last 12 months; what proportion this represents of all those so placed; and how these figures compare with the figures for the working population as a whole.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe following information about accidents on the youth opportunities programme is for the 12 months from 1 April 1981 to March 1982, which is the most recent year for which full information is available.
Number of YOP entrants 553,000 Total number of accidents 3,251 (6 fatalities) Major injuries notifiable under NADOR 1980* 261 Minor injuries 2,974 Proportion of YOP entrants having an accident 5.9 per thousand * Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980. The Chief Inspector of Factories report for 1981 shows that in general employment there were 20 notified accidents per 1,000 employees—all ages and industries — but the two sets of figures are not strictly comparable.
§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that, in every case of a youngster placed under the youth opportunities programmes and youth training schemes, the sponsor meets his responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of young people under his control.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Manpower Services Commission is responsible for the administration of these schemes and for any necessary advice to employers about conditions of employment, including compliance with health and safety legislation.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made towards introducing the proposed regulations and draft approved code of practice in "Protection of Hearing at Work" which was published by the Health and Safely Commission on 5 August 1981.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 15 July 1983, c. 452.]: The Health and Safety Commission—HSC—received and reviewed comments made in response to those proposals, but these were overtaken in October 1982 by a proposal from the European Commission—CEC—for a Council directive which would require member states to introduce harmonised legislation on the protection of workers from risks related to noise.
There are significant differences between the HSC's 1981 proposals and those included in the CEC's draft directive. The Council of Ministers is now beginning to discuss the CEC's proposal and the Government are at present awaiting comprehensive advice about it from the HSC: that advice will take account of comments made on both the HSC's original proposals and the: CEC's proposal. The advantages of agreement within the European Community are considerable as harmonised regulations would lay equal burdens upon all our partners in the Community and Britain can play an active role in promoting this important aspect of health and safety.