§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been taken in the British coal industry to ensure that the Safety Committee Regulations 1977 are in place, with particular reference to the provision of information relevant to the maintenance of safety in the mine. [11484]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Health and Safety Commission issued a consultative document in October 1995 on proposed regulations concerning employers' duties to consult their employees about health and safety matters in undertakings where there is no recognised trade union. These regulations would apply to coal mines but they would also extend the provisions of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, as amended by the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1992, to coal mines where there are recognised trade unions.