§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's expenditure on improving health and safety in the workplace is in 2003–04; and what the level of expenditure was in each year since 2000–01. [118216]
§ Mr. BrowneThe information in the table reflects the expenditure of the Health and Safety Executive, which is responsible for improving health and safety in the workplace, in each year from 2000–01:
Cost (£000) 2000–01 1189.400 2001–02 1203.500 2002–03 1193.713 2003–04 2219,000 1The information provided for 2000–01 to 2002–03 represents the Grant in Aid (cash) drawn by the Health and Safety Executive in each year. 2The information provided for 2003–04 is the Net Resource Budget which has been voted by Parliament.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many work-related deaths or serious injuries have occurred at workplaces in the Tooting constituency in each of the last five years; [118217]
(2) how many prosecutions have taken place against employers in the Tooting constituency for (a) work-related deaths and (b) serious injuries to their workforce in each of the last three years. [118218]
§ Mr. BrowneEnforcement of health and safety at work law in certain premises is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and in other premises for the local authority.
The number of work-related deaths and major injuries to employees, self-employed people and members of the public reported to HSE in the London borough of Wandsworth in each of the last five years for which figures are available, is in the table.
Table 1 Year1 Work-related deaths Major injury 1997–98 1 329 1998–99 3 181 1999–2000 — 96 2000–01 1 85 2001–02 1 70 The number of work-related deaths and major injuries to employees, self-employed people and members of the public, reported to the London borough of Wandsworth in the same period is as follows:
160W
Table 2 Year1 Work-related deaths Major injury 1997–98 — 15 1998–99 — 3 1999–2000 — 36
Table 2 Year1 Work-related deaths Major injury 2000–01 — 37 2001–02 — 23 Information at constituency level is not available.
The number of prosecutions taken by HSE against employers in the London borough of Wandsworth for (a) work-related deaths and (b) major injuries to employees (including trainees) in each of the last three years for which figures are available is as follows:
Table 3 Separate offences prosecuted Year1 Following work-related death Following major injury 1999–2000 — 1 2000–01 1 1 2001–02 — — The number of prosecutions for health and safety at work offences taken by Wandsworth borough council in the same period is as follows:
Table 4 Year1 Separate offences prosecuted (all health and safety offences)2 1999–2000 8 2000–01 — 2001–02 Not yet available The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March. Figures for offences prosecuted by local authorities specifically following death or major injury are not available except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department last introduced a nationwide campaign on the importance of health and safety procedures being followed by both employers and employees. [118551]
§ Mr. BrowneThe Government (through the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions) and the HSC launched "Revitalising Health and Safety" in 2000. The strategy stresses the need for employers to improve their health and safety performance to achieve best practice, the contribution of the workforce that understands its own responsibilities and the need for effective partnership between all stakeholders in the health and safety system.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many inspections of building development sites there have been in the Greater London area by health and safety inspectors in each of the last three years. [118556]
§ Mr. BrowneThe information is in the table.
Inspection visits of construction activities in the Greater London Area carried out by HSE Inspectors Year Number 2000–01 2,540 2001–02 1,951 2002–03 2,200