HC Deb 20 April 1995 vol 258 cc271-4W
Mr. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Health and Safety Executive's office buildings in Bootle were last inspected by the relevant local authority to ensure they fully complied with all current legislation, with particular reference to toilet facilities, removal of all asbestos, canteen facilities and rest rooms and space standards; and what was the result of the inspection. [17310]

Mr. Oppenheim

Records held by the Health and Safety Executive's headquarters office in Bootle indicate that a full inspection of its buildings encompassing a check of their compliance with all current legislation, has not been undertaken by the relevant local authority within the last eight years. Records do not extend back beyond eight years.

Ms Church

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total budget for the Health and Safety Executive in(a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c) each year since 1990; and what is the forecast budget for (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98, and (iii) 1998–99. [19438]

Mr. Oppenheim

The Health and Safety Executive's grant in aid for each of the years requested is shown in the following table:

Year £ million
1979–80 56
1985–86 93
1989–90 103
1990–91 120
1991–92 159
1992–93 173
1993–94 180
1994–95 188
1995–96 187

Present planned provision for 1996–97 and 1997–98 is £187 million and £186 million respectively. Plans for 1998–99 depend on the outcome of the 1995 public expenditure survey.

Ms Church

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was(a) the average, (b) the median and (c) the mode number within the Health and Safety Executive for Health and Safety Executive inspectors in (a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c) each year since 1990; what is the current average; and what is the estimated average for 1996. [19469]

Mr. Oppenheim

The available figures are shown in the following table:

Year Average Median
1979–80 1,435.5 1,435.5
1985–86 1,242.5 1,244.5
1990–91 1,264.5 1,244.0
1991–92 1,396.0 1,385.0
1992–93 1,507.5 1,508.0
1993–94 1,578.0 1,580.0
1994–95 1,530.5 1,537.0
1995–961 1,499.0 1,499.0
1Estimated.

Because of the way in which inspector numbers fluctuate, it is not possible to calculate a mode statistic. The figures are not comparable, year to year, because there have been successive changes in the Health and Safety Executive's responsibilities.

Ms Church

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was(a) the average, (b) the median and (c) the mode number of inspections an HSE inspector made in (i) 1979, (ii) 1985 and (iii) each year since 1990; and what is the estimate for (1) 1995, (2) 1996, (3) 1997 and (4) 1998. [19470]

Mr. Oppenheim

The average numbers of planned inspections completed by each of the Health and Safety Executive's operational division's field inspectors, for each of the financial years 1990–91 to 1993–94 are set out in the following table. Median and modal averages are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Comparable figures for 1979 and 1985 are not available.

Average number of planned inspections completed or planned by HSE operational division's field inspectors per year
1990–91 Outturn 1991–92 Outturn 1992–93 Outturn 1993–94 Outturn 1994–95 Planned 1995–96 Planned
Field operations division planned inspections per inspector 496 493 467 443 420 380
Mines inspectorate planned inspections per inspector 180 167 195 203 165 175
Offshore safety division planned inspections per inspector1 16 12 13 11 7
Railway inspectorate planned inspections per inspector2 271 179 141 198 183
Technology and health sciences division planned inspections per inspector 41 48 65 66 49 49
1 HSE assumed responsibility for offshore safety on 1 April 1991. 2 The railway inspectorate transferred from the Department of Transport on 3 December 1990.

Ms Church

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many Her Majesty's inspectors of factories there were in each grade in each year since 1979. [19437]

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
Chief Inspector 1 1 1
Deputy Chief Inspector 7 6 6
Senior Area Director 2 2 2
Superintending Inspector/Area Director 19 20 22
Deputy Superintending Inspector 64 44 42
Inspector 1A 154 152 156
Inspector 1B 355 329 295.5
Inspector Class 2 49 69 97
Total 742.5 759.5 735 678.5 654.5 627 651 623 621.5

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Chief Inspector 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 0
Deputy Chief Inspector 4 4 4 5 6 4 2 3
Senior Area Director 3 4 4 3 3 4 7 9
Superintending Inspector/Area Director 21 19 22 25 23 24 23 18
Deputy Superintending Inspector 43 38 34 28 26 28 24 16
Inspector 1A 158.5 162.5 161.5 163 173 172 175.5 158
Inspector 1B 270 276.5 269 263 266.5 278 312 358
Inspector Class 2 92 99 139 163 199 197.5 159 96
Total 592.5 604 634.5 651 698.5 707.5 702.5 658

Information about factory inspectors by grade is not available before 1985.

Ms Church

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many health and safety inspectors there were in(a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c) each year since 1990; and what are the estimates for (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 1998–99. [19439]

Mr. Oppenheim

The available figures are shown in the following table:

Year Average inspector numbers
1979–80 1,435.5
1985–86 1,242.5
1990–91 1,264.5
1991–92 1,396
1992–93 1,507.5
1993–94 1,578
1994–95 1,530.5
1995–96 (planned) 1,499

The table also indicates the average numbers of planned inspections divisions expected to achieve in 1994–95 and plan to achieve in 1995–96. Detailed estimates for the years 1996–97 and 1997–98 are not available.

Mr. Oppenheim

The available figures for the number of factory inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April for each year are as follows: