§ Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what charges were made by the Health and Safety Executive to the organisers of the conference comprising representatives of private fee-paying schools held in the conference room of the health and safety area office at Quay house, Quay street, Manchester, on 23 November 1988 for the use of (i) the premises, (ii) equipment, (iii) refreshments and (iv) Health and Safety Executive staff time.
§ Mr. NichollsNone.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what changes in the staffing levels of the Health and Safety Executive have been effected in Scotland since 1980.
§ Mr. NichollsThe total number of Health and Safety Executive staff employed in Scotland in each year since 1980 was as follows:
1 January Number 1980 231 1981 225 1982 208 1983 200 1984 193 1985 187 1986 176 1987 176 1988 177 On 1 December 1988, the total was 166.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what changes in the staffing levels of the Health and Safety Executive have been effected in Britain, excluding Scotland, since 1980.
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§ Mr. NichollsThe total number of Health and Safety Executive staff employed in Britain, excluding Scotland, in each year since 1980 was as follows (1 January figures):
Number 1980 3,987 1981 3,841 1982 3,631 1983 3,536 1984 3,525 1985 3,524 1986 3,463 1987 3,521 1988 3,324 On 1 December 1988 the total was 3,359.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplace inspections were carried out by the inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive in the Scotland, west area for the years 1981 to 1987.
§ Mr. NichollsThe information requested is not available for the years 1981 to 1984.
The following table shows the number of workplace inspection visits made by the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates in the Scotland, west area for each year from 1985 to 1988:
Year1 Number of visits 1985–86 9,464 1986–87 9,083 1987–88 9,586 1 1 April—31 March.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if any changes are planned for the staffing levels of the two Scottish areas of the inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive.
§ Mr. NichollsThe Health and Safety Executive recruits factory and agricultural inspectors on a national basis through open competition. Recruitment is currently under way. Allocations of new recruits to areas will depend on the number of successful candidates who take up post and on the operational needs of each office, and it is not yet possible to say how many successful candidates will be allocated to the two Scottish areas.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if any changes are planned in the staffing levels of the inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive for Britain.
§ Mr. NichollsRecruitment is currently under way with the aim of increasing the numbers of factory and agricultural inspectors in the inspectorates from 1 December 1988 levels of 562 and 154 respectively to 588 factory inspectors and 160 agricultural inspectors early in the new financial year. Planned staffing levels beyond this period are still being formulated and will be published in the Health and Safety Commission's plan of work in March 1989.