HC Deb 18 April 1988 vol 131 cc314-6W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the total funding for the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive for each year from 1974 to 1987, inclusive.

Mr. Nicholls

The total provision available to the Health and Safety Commission and Executive for each year since 1974 is:

Year £ (million)
1974–75 13.6
1975–76 28.6
1976–77 39.3
1977–78 45.4
1978–79 48.6
1979–80 58.1
1980–81 73.7
1981–82 84.7
1982–83 86.0
1983–84 93.1
1984–85 95.4
1985–86 98.8
1986–87 100.0
1987–88 102.3

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report (a) the number of deaths, (b) the number of serious and major injuries and (c) the number of employees in the construction industry for 1970 to 1987 inclusive for (i) public, (ii) private and (iii) public and private construction.

Mr. Nicholls

The available information is given in the table below.

Year Numbers of reported occupational injuries to employees in Great Britain resulting in: Numbers of employees (construction industry)
Death Major injury (1000's)
1970 204 .. ..
1971 201 .. 1,159.0
1972 19 .. 1,193.0
1973 23 .. 1,269.0
1974 166 .. 1,223.0
1975 18 .. 1,207.0
1976 156 .. 1,203.0
1977 130 .. 1,167.0
1978 12 .. 1,161.0
1979 11 .. 1,201.0
1980 12 .. 1,192.0
1981 105 1,690 1,086.0
1982 100 1,950 1,034.7
1983 118 2,178 1,021.4
1984 100 2,288 1,015.8
1985 104 2,239 991.8
1986–871 90 2,538 975.3
.. not available.
1 provisional.

Note:

The construction industry is as defined by Standard Industrial Classification 1980 (SIC80) Division 5. This definition has been applied retrospectively for the years 1970–1979.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was(a) the estimated number of building sites and (b) the number of construction Health and Safety Executive inspectors for the years 1970 to 1987, inclusive.

Mr. Nicholls

The HSE does not keep estimates of the numbers of building sites. All inspectors in the factory inspectorate sector of the HSE may work in construction groups. The number of experienced Inspectors employed on construction work for the years 1979–87 at 1 January is as follows :

Year Number
1979 86
1980 87
1981 90
1982 89
1983 88
1984 88
1985 86
1986 84.5
11987 75
1 September

No information is available centrally for the years 1970–1978. In addition to the 75 experienced inspectors, there were another 17 qualified inspectors working in construction on 1 September 1987. It is planned to recruit enough factory inspectors to bring the total number of experienced inspectors in construction groups nationally to around 100 by 1990.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how frequently the average building site has been inspected for each year from 1970 to 1987.

Mr. Nicholls

The information requested is not available.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the final outcome, in terms of(a) construction sites visited, (b) prohibition and improvement notices issued and (c) prosecutions initiated for the construction site blitzes carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in 1987.

Mr. Nicholls

During the construction site blitzes carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in 1987, 4,289 construction sites were visited, 1,006 prohibition and 28 improvement notices were issued, and 25 prosecutions were initiated.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which areas of the country, or London boroughs, will be blitzed by construction inspectors during the current year; and when.

Mr. Nicholls

The Health and Safety Executive plans to carry out the following construction blitzes in 1988:

  • April
    • "Black Country"
    • Lincoln
    • Torbay
    • West Wales
    • Worcester
    • London—(North London)
  • May
    • Bradford
    • Hertfordshire
    • North Wales
  • June
    • Plymouth
    • Folkestone
  • September
    • Buckinghamshire
    • Bolton