§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to make it compulsory for employers to provide life insurance cover for workers in the offshore oil and gas industry. [32036]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 2 March 1998]: This is also a matter for the Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions. The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 requires employers, with some exceptions, to insure their liability to employees for bodily injury or disease (including death arising from such injury or disease) sustained during their employment. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that funds are available to pay any compensation awarded where an employee (or dependant) has been successful in a civil action brought to establish an employer's liability for the injury or disease suffered by the employee. It is not the Government's policy to require employers to provide insurance cover for injury or disease where no such liability is established.
§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantity of individual or total pthalates was discharged by the offshore oil and gas industry in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the reliability of the figures. [32388]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 5 March 1998]: No products containing pthalates are known to have been discharged offshore in the last 5 years. No products containing pthalates are currently listed in the Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme.