§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of his Department, of whatever grade or specialisation, are engaged whole or part-time in public and press relations, expressing the total in whole-time equivalents; and what is their total annual cost to public funds.
§ Mr. MayhewThe numbers of staff employed in the Department of Employment group press offices at 1 November 1980 are given below together with the total annual cost to public funds of pay and employers' national insurance contribution.
June 1974 by the International Labour Office.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that, following upon publication of a Government White Paper, Cmnd. 6236, in September 1975, work was commenced on the preparation of new regulations for the control of carcinogenic substances.
Consequent upon agreement by Ministers in June 1980 of a European Community framework directive concerned with control of hazardous agents in the workplace the Health and Safety Commission is reviewing its general strategy for legislation on substances hazardous to health. This review will also include the control of carcinogenic substances.
In these circumstances I cannot publish a timetable.
§ Mr. Norman Hoggasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions, prohibition notices and imprisonment notices were issued in 1979 127W under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act for offences relating to (a) cancer and (b) asbestos.
§ Mr. MayhewThe table below shows enforcement action taken by HSE inspectors in 1979 under all health and safety legislation.
It is not possible to distinguish between action under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act from other health and safety legislation enforced by HSE for these particular offences.
Action related to Asbestos Other Carcinogens Prosecutions completed: Number of cases 11 1 Number of informations laid 24 1 Notices issued*: Prohibition 20 3 Improvement 8 30 * Incomplete figures; the analysis so far available covers only about three-quarters of all notices issued during the year.