§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors have claimed travelling expenses for the month of September 1976 of less than £50, of over £50 but less than £100, of over £100 but less than £150, of over £150 but less than £200, of over £200 but less than £250, of over £250 but less than £300, and of over £300; and what are the corresponding figures for the remaining Health and Safety Executive employees.
§ Mr. John GrantThe figures are as follows:
reference to the acquisition of new office accommodation, increased travelling expenses and the payment of expenses and allowances to inspectors upon transfer.
185W
§ Mr. John GrantThe costs of reorganising the Factory Inspectorate cannot be isolated from the similar costs arising from the planned expansion of the Inspectorate and the general restructuring of the headquarters and regional organisation of the whole of the staff of the Health and Safety Executive including the Medical Advisory Service and other inspectorates. New accommodation and transfer expenses costs are inevitable under any reorganisation, but there are offsetting financial advantages to be gained, though they cannot be quantified at this stage, from the surrender of existing accommodation, economies in scale in the provision of support staff and transfer of some specialist staff from London to provincial offices.
§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has given any direction under paragraph 19(a) of the Second Schedule to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 concerning the length of the first accounting year of the Health and Safety Commission; and, if so, what that direction was.
§ Mr. John GrantYes. My right hon. Friend has directed that the first accounting year of the Health and Safety Commission shall cover the period from 1st October 1974 to 31st March 1976.
§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Employment if consideration is still being given to transferring the administration of the Health and Safety Executive to the provinces; and, if so, what areas are being, or have been, looked at.
§ Mr. John GrantThe Health and Safety Commission has been carrying out a very full review of the factors affecting any dispersal of its London offices and that of the headquarter offices of the Executive, including the full range of posible locations in the United Kingdom. The Chairman assures me that this review will be very comprehensive and that he expects to make a recommendation to my right hon. Friend in the near future.