HC Deb 28 July 1977 vol 936 c447W
Mr. Alexander Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether it remains his policy to apply the undertaking given during the passage of the Health and Safety at Work Act that, in the case of the mining industry, there will be safeguards against across-the-board legislation.

Mr. John Grant

As stated by my hon. Friend the Minister of State on several occasions during the proceedings on the Health and Safety at Work Bill the statutory standards of protection laid down in existing mines and quarries legislation will remain in force until such time as they are replaced by equally or more effective provisions. Those better provisions could be introduced either by regulations applying specifically to mining or by "across-the-board" regulations where more appropriate which will apply to mining as to other industry, but in each case there will be full consultation with the mining industry about their content.