HC Deb 09 November 1987 vol 122 cc41-3W
Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors were employed by the Health and Safety Executive during each of the past 10 years; and how many he expects to be employed on 1 January 1988.

Mr. Nicholls

The total number of inspectors employed by HSE during each of the past 10 years is as follows—1 April figures;

Number
1977 1,352
1978 1,389
1979 1,424
1980 1,435
1981 1,404
1982 1,323

(1 April figures) 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1 1987
1. Number of Inspectors2 in:
(a) Factory Inspectorate 689 702 683 621 598 574 600 563 564 554
(b) Agricultural Inspectorate 189 187 176 166 159 154 160 160 162 154
(c) Mines and Quarries 115 113 113 110 103 100 93 82 84 78
(d) Nuclear Installations 89 85 91 94 98 101 102 99 100 109
(e) Industrial Air Pollution4 45 47 46 46 42 37 41 40 — —
Total of HSE Inspectors (including specialists) 3 1,424 1,435 1,404 1,323 1,276 1,242 1,266 1,231 1,204 1,184
2. Approximate Number of Employees Covered by HSE Inspectorates (million) 17.2 16.4 16.0 15.5 15.5 15.0 15.1 15.1 n/a n/a

Number
1983 1,276
1984 1,242
1985 1,266
1986 1,231
11987 1,204
1 On 1 April 1987 37 industrial air pollution inspectors were transferred from HSE to the Department of the Environment.

Figures for 1 January 1988 are not available.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from Leicester concerning the growth of sweatshops and of safety abuse.

Mr. Nicholls

None.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints he has received from theLeicester Mercury during the past 12 months concerning alleged safety infringements in local businesses; and what steps have been taken as a result thereof.

Mr. Nicholls

The local office of the Health and Safety Executive in Leicester has recently received 28 complaints about local businesses from theLeicester Mercury. Those complaints relating to health and safety matters will be investigated as soon as possible. Complaints about other matters have been referred to the appropriate authorities.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report for each year since 1979 to the latest available date (a) the number of inspectors in each Health and Safety Executive Inspectorate, (b) the number of employees covered by each Health and Safety Inspectorate, (c) the number of inspectors per thousand employees covered by each Health and Safety Inspectorate and (d) the total numbers of (i) inspectors employed, (ii) employees covered and (iii) the number of inspectors per thousand employees covered by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr. Fowler

[holding answer 6 November 1987]: The number of inspectors in each HSE inspectorate; the total number of HSE inspectors; the approximate number of employees covered by all HSE inspectorates and the approximate number of HSE inspectors per thousand employees are as follows:

(1 April figures) 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 11987
3. Approximate Number of Inspectors per Thousand Employees 0.083 0.087 0.088 0.085 0.082 0.083 0.084 0.082 — —
1 To 1 October.
2 Before April 1986 some inspectors now classed as specialists were categorised as general inspectors.
3 Figures relate to inspectors employed in HSE as a whole, including specialists, and those inspectors employed outside their 'own' inspectorate.
4 Her Majesty's Industrial Air Pollution Inspectorate transferred to the Department of the Environment on 1 April 1987.

Figures are not available for the number of employees covered by each HSE Inspectorate.