§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many Government safety inspectors are employed in checking equipment and safety procedures on drilling rigs, production platforms and laying and lifting barges; how many visits were made to each such installation or vessel in 1976; and whether there have been any changes in average time spent on inspections in the last year.
§ Dr. J. Dickson MabonThere are nine inspectors of the Department of Energy who spend most of their time visiting drilling and production installations on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. Nine more are also involved in other aspects of safety and control and visit these installations when required. During 1976, 187 visits were made for inspection purposes. This equates to an average of between two and three visits a year to each installation. There has been no change in the average inspection time spent on inspections in the last year, a typical inspection taking between three and five hours.