§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of people who will require training as workers' safety representatives under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
§ Mr. John GrantThe number of safety representatives appointed will depend on the decisions of the trade unions recognised in each workplace. The TUC has estimated that the number will be of the order of 150,000 by 1980.
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the number of training courses for workers' safety representatives being sponsored during the current year by his Department through such bodies as the Workers' Educational Association and the Trades Union Congress, and the number last year.
§ Mr. John GrantMy Department does not sponsor directly any training courses for safety representatives. However, as I told the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 27th October 1977—[Vol. 936, c. 880]—my Department, together with the Department of Education and Science, makes a contribution towards the cost of trade union education and training.
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department is taking to ensure that safety representatives appointed under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act receive sufficient training to enable them to carry out their responsibilities competently.
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§ Mr. John GrantThe safety representatives and safety committees regulations, which come into force on 1st October 1978, require an employer to permit a safety representative time off for training, having regard to any relevant provisions of a code of practice relating to time off for training approved by the Health and Safety Commission. The Commission is at present consulting on its proposals for such an approved code of practice.