HC Deb 24 June 1985 vol 81 cc312-3W
Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for Employment where the 161 agricultural inspectors mentioned in his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 74, are based.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

One hundred and forty-nine of the 161 agricultural inspectors in post on 1 June work in the field and are based at 34 offices throughout Great Britain. A further 10 work in the agricultural inspectorate's headquarters on Merseyside, and two work in other parts of the Health and Safety Executive an Merseyside and Preston.

Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will express the agricultural inspectorate budget, for each of the last six years, in 1985 prices.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Spending by the agricultural inspectorate is given in column (2) of the following table. When these figures are adjusted using the single index most widely used for such purposes, the gross domestic product deflator, the figures are as shown in column (3). When using those figures it should be remembered that a number of elements within the agricultural inspectorate's budget have not moved in line with the gross domestic product over this period.

Year Spend At 1984–85 prices
£ thousands £ thousands
(1) (2) (3)
1984–85 3,411 3,411
1983–84 3,342 3,295
1982–83 3,291 3,603
1981–82 2,746 3,213
1980–81 2,454 3,207
1979–80 2,008 3,129

Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of prosecutions made by the Health and Safety Executive agricultural inspectorate between 1979 and 1985 and the average cost or penalty imposed at 1985 prices.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The number of prosecutions undertaken by Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate between 1979 and 1984 and the average penalty imposed at 1985 prices are shown in the following table:

Year Number of informations laid Average penalty relative to 1985 prices
1979 295 140
1980 301 94
1981 285 111
1982 208 148
1983 220 167
1984 306 148

Notes: (1) Information for 1985 is not yet available.

(2) Figures for 1984 are provisional.

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