Health and Safety Executive (Hansard, 5 July 1988)

§ 17. Mr. Archer
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of inspectors now available to the Health and Safety Executive.

§ 20. Mr. Skinner
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of inspectors now available to the Health and Safety Executive.

§ Mr. Nicholls
As of 1 June this year, the total number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive was 1,159.

§ 31. Mr. Dunnachie
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional areas of responsibility have been taken on by the Health and Safety Executive since 1979.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 laid upon the Health and Safety Commission and Executive responsibility for virtually all aspects of occupational health and safety, and most aspects of the protection of the public from industrial activity. Within this overall competence HSE has acquired the following specific new responsibilities since 1979:

(i) carriage by road, classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances;

(ii) notification of new and existing substances before they are placed on the market;

(iii) action under the European directive on the control of industrial major accident hazards;

(iv) mains gas safety;

(v) asbestos licensing;

(vi) the enforcement of part 3 of the Food and Environment Protection Act and its related Control of Pesticides Regulations.

In addition, the HSE has acquired new or substantially expanded work in connection with the nuclear industry and the control of dangerous substances in harbour areas, 546W radiation and noise and the health and safety implications of the development and use of new technology including programmable electronics and biotechnology. There has also been a significant growth of EC activity and regulations in areas affecting safety and health, and a general growth in public and international interest in relevant environmental and major hazards issues requiring action by the HSE.

§ 32. Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the director general of the Health and Safety Executive to discuss funding of the Health and Safety Executive.

§ 97. Dr. Reid
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the director general of the Health and Safety Executive to discuss funding of the executive.

§ 109. Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the director general of the Health and Safety Executive to discuss funding of the executive.

§ 144. Mr. Frank Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the director general of the Health and Safety Executive to discuss funding of the executive.

§ Mr. Nicholls
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I last met the Health and Safety Commission to discuss funding of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive on 8 March 1988. The director general of the HSE attended the meeting.

§ 35. Mr. Harry Ewing
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors were employed by the Health and Safety Executive in(a) 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which figures are available.

§ 149. Mr. Wareing
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors were employed by the Health and Safety Executive 1979; and what is the figure at present.

§ 89. Mrs. Wise
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors were employed by the Health and Safety Executive in 1979 and at present.

§ Mr. Nicholls
On 1 April 1979, 1,424 inspectors were in post in the HSE. On 1 June 1988 there were 1,159.

§ 40. Mr. Allen
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total accommodation costs paid to Health and Safety Executive staff following the relocation of the executive to Bootle.

§ 145. Dr. Marek
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total accommodation costs paid to Health and Safety Executive staff following the relocation of the Health and Safety Executive to Bootle.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The relocation of the Health and Safety Executive to Bootle was phased between 1982 and 1986 and the search and analysis of individual records to determine for example what was paid to individuals employed on detached duty terms would be disproportionately expensive.

§ 63. Mr. Parry
To ask the Secretary of Stale for Employment what is the total number of inspectors now available to the Health and Safety Executive.
547W

§ 95. Ms. Armstrong
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of inspectors now available to the Health and Safety Executive.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The total number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive is 1,159 (1 June 1988).

§ 78. Mr. Doran
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the research and laboratory services division of the Health and Safety Executive is able to carry out its responsibilities adequately.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The responsibility for ensuring that the division is able to carry out its responsibilities adequately lies with the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. The division is receiving an appropriate share of the available resources and emphasis is being placed on efficiency improvements within the division to obtain maximum benefit from these resources.

§ 87. Mr. Hood
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to improve the performance of the technology division of the Health and Safety Executive.

§ Mr. Nicholls
No. The performance of the technology division is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.

§ 108. Mr. McAllion
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the directorate of information services of the Health and Safety Executive is able to carry out its responsibilities effectively.

§ Mr. Nicholls
I am satisfied that the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advisory services is able to carry out its responsibilities effectively. The management of the division is a matter for the executive.

§ 120. Ms. Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the research and laboratory services division of the Health and Safety Executive is able to carry out its responsibilities adequately.

§ 162. Mr. Foot
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the research and laboratory services division of the Health and Safety Executive is able to carry out its responsibilities adequately.

§ Mr. Nicholls
I am satisfied that the Health and Safety Executive's research and laboratories division is able to carry out its responsibilities effectively. The management of the division is a matter for the executive.

§ 121. Mr. Terry Davis
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the additional funding sought by the Health and Safety Executive for the running of the executive during the year 1988–89.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The Health and Safety Executive did not seek any additional funding at the time of the 1988–89 Supply Estimates.

§ 128. Mr. Galloway
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the enforcing inspectorates of the Health and Safety Executive receive adequate back-up services from the specialist inspectorates.
548W

§ 148. Mr. Mullin
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the enforcing inspectorates of the Health and Safety Executive receive adequate back-up services from the specialist inspectorates.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The allocation of resources in support of the enforcing inspectorate is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.

§ 132. Mr. Meale
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the United Kingdom's 1,500 most potentially dangerous workplaces the technology division of the Health and Safety Executive plans to inspect in the next 12 months.

§ Mr. Nicholls
Of the approximately 1,300 premises which are subject to the Fire Certification (Special Premises) Regulations 1976, HSE inspectors from the technology division expect to visit 215 in 1988–89. Some 600 certificates have already been issued, a further 35 premises have been surveyed and listed major hazard sites are also subject to other visits by HSE inspectors.

§ 150. Mrs. Fyfe
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the directorate of information services of the Health and Safety Executive is able to carry out its responsibilities effectively.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The responsibility for ensuring that the division is able to carry out its responsibilities adequately lies with the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. The division is receiving an appropriate share of the available resources and emphasis is being placed on efficiency improvements within the division to obtain maximum benefit from them.