§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of industrial accidents as a percentage of the working population, in Bolton, in the North-West Region and in Great Britain as a whole for 1971.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe incidence of notified accidents in factory processes in the Bolton district office area, the North West (Manchester) divisional office area220W and in Great Britain as a whole were, respectively, 3.6, 3.0 and 3.3 per 100 employees estimated to be at risk. These rates are not regarded as a reliable guide to the comparative accident prevention performance in the areas concerned.
§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Employment what statistical comparison has been made by his factory inspectors between the age of industrial premises and the number of accidents at work in the Bolton district of the inspectorate.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithNone, but various studies, and the experience of the Inspectorate in general, indicate that the age of industrial premises is not a principal factor in accident prevention.
§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost as a result of industrial accidents in Bolton during 1971; and how this compares with the number of days lost as a result of strike action in the town during the same period.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithI regret this information is not available.
§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will invite the Robens Committee on Industrial Safety to examine the relationship between the number of accidents at work and the age of industrial premises.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithNo. The Committee's report is now nearing completion and it would not be proper to make further references to it.