§ Miss MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will express the number of visits made by factory inspectors in the north-east in 1986–87 as a proportion of the total number of factories in the area.
§ Mr. NichollsIt is not possible without disproportionate cost to separate the number of visits made to factories from those made to other premises where the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is enforced by HSE's factory inspectorate.
§ Miss MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors were in post in each of the five years in the north-east region; and how many of the anticipated increase in the number of factory inspectors will be located in the north-east region.
Mr. NichollasThe number of factory inspectors in the Health and Safety Executive's north-east area over the past five years is as follows:
1 April Numbers 1983 32 1984 31 1985 31 1986 30 1987 (April) 31 1987 (November) 27 The Health and Safety Commission and Executive plan to increase the number of inspectors in the factory inspectorate by about 35 above present levels during 1988–89. Decisions on when the additional inspectors will be located have not yet been taken.