§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for employment (1) how many improvement notices the Health and Safety Executive's offshore division has issued since 1 April 1991;
(2) how many prohibition notices the Health and Safety Executive's offshore division has issued since 1 April 1991;
(3) how many prosecutions have been commenced by the Health and Safety Executive's offshore division since 1 April 1991.
Mr. Jackson[holding answer 11 December 1991]: Since 1 April 1991, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Health and Safety Executive's offshore safety division has served no improvement notices. Two prohibition notices have been served. Inspectors have additional powers under the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 to prohibit an activity or the use of equipment or to require improvement to be made. These powers have been designed specifically for offshore operation, and are used extensively. No prosecutions have been commenced by HSE's offshore safety division since 1 April 1991. Decisions on offshore safety-related prosecutions are normally a matter for the procurator fiscal in Scotland and the Crown prosecution service in England. I am not aware of any prosecutions commenced by these authorities since 1 April 1991.