HC Deb 16 January 1985 vol 71 cc129-30W
Mr. Corbett

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers have (a) been cautioned and (b) prosecuted, and with what result, for infringement of the Power Presses Regulations 1965 in Birmingham, Coventry, and elsewhere in the west midlands by the west midlands area of the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years to the nearest convenient date.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Between 1981 and 1984 the number of improvement and prohibition notices served in the west midlands area in relation to power presses which are subject to the Power Presses Regulations 1965 are as follows:

Notices
1981 2
1982 8
1983 14
1984 7

I regret that disaggregate figures for 1980 and figures for different districts within the west midlands are not available.

Between 1980 and 1984 there were 61 successful prosecutions for breaches of the Power Presses Regulations 1965 in the west midlands.

Table 1

Prosecutions under the Power Presses Regulations 1965 (West Midlands Area)

Birmingham Coventry Elsewhere in the West Midlands
1980 3 (5) 1 (1) 5 (5)
1981 4 (8) 1 (1)
1982 3 (4) 4 (4)
1983 11 (14) 10 (10)
1984 6 (7) 13 (13)

(Figures in brackets show the number of informations laid)

Table II Penalties (£s) for convictions under the Power Presses

Regulations 1965 (West Midlands Area)

Birmingham Coventry Elsewhere in the West Midlands
1980 1,550 250 750
1981 1,150 200
1982 800 850
1983 2,800 1,250
1984 1,650 4,750

Mr. Corbett

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspections to check compliance with the Power Presses Regulations 1965 have been carried out by the factory inspectorate of the west midlands area of the Health and Safety Executive in each of the past five years to the nearest convenient date; and how many were carried out in (a) Birmingham, (b) Coventry and (c) elsewhere in the area.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Between 1981 and 1984 there were 6,721 visits to premises in the west midlands where the Power Presses Regulations applied. Figures are not available for 1980. Details are given in the following table. 2,342 of these visits were made to look generally at health and safety conditions and compliance with the regulations was checked. The purpose and nature of each visit varied for the remainder, but at some of them compliance with the regulations would have been examined. 21 complaints about the safety of power presses received during the period were all investigated.

Number of visits to premises where the Power Presses Regulations

1965 apply (West Midlands)

Birmingham Coventry Elsewhere in the West Midlands
1981 632 (196) 58 (12) 887 (279)
1982 773 (282) 76 (39) 1013 (383)
1983 715 (243) 76 (30) 963 (341)
1984 545 ((199) 61 (19) 922 (319)

(Figures in brackets show the number of routine visits to look generally at health and safety conditions).

Mr. Corbett

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest estimate of the number of (a) employers and (b) presses covered by the Power Presses Regulations 1965 in Birmingham, Coventry and elsewhere in the west midlands.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

On 11 January 1985 the following number of premises where persons are employed were registered as having machines subject to the Power Presses Regulations 1965.

Number
Birmingham 649
Coventry 68
Elsewhere in the west midlands 832

The number of presses covered by the regulations is not known.