§ Mr. Roy HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to bring schools into line with workplace law which stipulates that there must be a person on the premises with first aid qualifications for every 150 employees; and whether he will give consideration to appointing fully qualified nurses in schools with over 500 pupils.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsLocal authorities have duties, as employers, to provide first aid facilities for all their employees, including those in schools. These duties are set out in the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and more specifically in the Health and Safety (Training for Employment) Regulations 1981 made under that Act. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has no plans for extending these duties to cover non-employees.
However, the Health and Safety Commission's approved code of practice on first aid at work recognises that employers, such as local education authorities, whose premises are regularly attended by non-employees may wish to make some provision for them. The recommendation of both the Welsh Office and HSE is that such employers may consider, among other matters, the total number of people on a site when assessing first aid needs. In the case of schools, the responsibility for making such an assessment rests with the employer.
All local education authorities in Wales were sent the code of practice in February and asked to review the situation at the schools and colleges for which they have a general health and safety responsibility and to determine what practical measures needed to be given priority in order to reach or maintain the recommended minimum standards for first aid.
The appointment of qualified nurses in schools is a matter for determination locally.