§ Mr. John Leeasked the Minister of Labour what was the number of recorded accidents that have occurred on building sites in Berkshire for the years 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1966; in how many instances the employers concerned have been found liable for civil negligence; and in how many cases liable for breach of statutory duty.
§ Mr. FernyhoughInformation is not available in the precise form requested. The Reading District of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate covers a large part of Berkshire and parts of Hampshire and Oxfordshire and the numbers of accidents reported from construction sites in this District in the years 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966 were 422, 582, 438 and 706 respectively. Information about civil negligence is not available but the Report of special accident enquiries which my right hon. Friend arranged on selected construction sites in other parts of the country in 1966 suggests that about 20 per cent. of reportable accidents were caused by a breach of statutory duty. This Report is now being studied by my right hon. Friend's Joint Advisory Committee on Safety and Health in the Construction Industries.