§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many professional divers drowned in each of the last 23-month periods for which records are available; in how many of such cases was the deceased fully trained; in how many of such cases was the deceased a former diver in one of the armed services; and in how many and what percentage of such cases was the body of the deceased not recovered.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI have been in-formed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that in respect of operations subject to the Factories Act 1961 the following information about fatal accidents is recorded. Since January 1973 there have been six accidental deaths of professional divers. In only one of those cases was the diver not trained. In two of the cases the divers were known to have had experience of diving during service with the Armed Forces. In all the cases the bodies of the divers were recovered.
Before 1973 detailed information about fatal accidents to divers was not recorded centrally, but it is known that in each of the years 1970, 1971 and 1972 there was one such accident.
Accidents arising from diving operation in connection with offshore installations are the responsibility of the Department of Energy. Diving operations not subject to regulations under the Factories Act or 361W the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 may be the concern of the Department of Trade.