§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many visits by Band Three Inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive in 2003–04 per week were made in(a) the north west region and (b) the west Midlands region. [176724]
§ Jane KennedyIn the year to 3 April 2004 Band 3 operational inspectors in operational groups from the Health and Safety Executive's North West and Midlands Divisions made, on average, 3.25 and 3.9 contacts per week respectively.
During this period new working arrangements were piloted in North West Division with the aim of increasing the amount of time spent by operational inspectors on contact activities. In the period of the pilot (July—December 2003) each operational Band 3 inspector made, on average, 4.4 contacts.
§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the Band Zero and Band One staff in each of the regions of the Health and Safety Executive received performance awards in financial year 2003–04. [176725]
§ Jane KennedyPerformance reviews and recommendations for performance awards for the reporting year April 2003 to March 2004 are still being processed. The information will not be available until later in the year.
§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many retired employees, and at what grade, have subsequently been re-employed by the Health and Safety Executive since 2001; and what plans he has to cease this policy. [176728]
§ Jane KennedySince 2001 there have been, broken down by grade, the following numbers of re-employed staff:
Grade Number of staff Band 1 (grade 6 equivalent): 1 Band 2 (grade 7): 6 Band 3 (SEO): 5 Band 4 (HEO): 2 Band 5 (E0): 0 Band 6 (AO/AA): 2 As these individual cases are based on justified business needs, there are no plans to review the current policy until such time as the provisions of the EU Directive "establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation" commonly known as the "Employment Directive" (2000/78/EC) and the provisions specifically relating to discrimination on the grounds of age have been implemented into UK legislation (by the end of 2006).