§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Employment in how many of the (a) fatal accidents, (b) major accidents and (c) minor accidents befalling trainees on the youth opportunities programme between 1 April 1981 and 31 March 1982 and of the accidents which have occurred since that date (i) the employer was prosecuted under the health and safety legislation, (ii) the employer pleaded guilty, (iii) a conviction was obtained, (iv) information had been obtained prior to the accident about the employer's compliance with the health and safety legislation and (v) the employer had been inspected by the factories inspectorate.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 22 July 1983, c. 265–6]. In the period 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982 two accidents were notified to Her Majesty's factory inspectorate in which trainees taking part in the youth opportunities scheme were fatally injured.
During the period 1 April 1982 to date three accidents were notified to Her Majesty's factory inspectorate in which trainees taking part in the youth opportunities scheme were fatally injured.
Information in connection with legal action appears in the following table:
Fatal accidents occuring to YOP trainees at premises subject to inspection by HMFI and subsequent HMFI legal action 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982 1 April 1982 to date Fatal accidents to YOP trainees 2 3 Number of informations laid by HMFI in response to above 1 8 Number of "guilty" pleas 0 7 Number of convictions 1 *7 Number of situations where information about compliance with health and safety legislation had been obtained by HMFI before the accident 0 2 Number of premises inspected by HMFI before the accident 0 2 * One case to be heard. Comparable information on non-fatal accidents is not at present available.