§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have suffered injuries or death in work accidents in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Scotland for each year since 1974.
§ Mr. NichollsI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher)Official Report 16 December 1987, at column 578 in which I gave the available information for Great Britain. A breakdown of these figures for England, Wales and Scotland could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The position in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been brought in respect of work accidents for each year since 1974.
§ Mr. NichollsThe available information is set out in the table. Not all these cases arose from accidents at work.
Year Number of prosecutions: information laid All1 LAs2 Fact & Agric. Insp.3 Fact. Insp.4 1975 — — — 2,956 1976 — — — 2,174 1977 — — — 2,814 1978 — — — 2,603 1979 — — 2,427 — 1980 3,169 545 — — 1981 2,408 516 — — 1982 2,810 468 — — 1983 2,749 511 — — 1984 2,792 585 — — 1985 2,764 451 — — 1986–875 2,628 453 — — 1 Data include prosecutions taken by HM Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates, Local Authorities (where known), Explosives Inspecorate, HM Mines and Quarries Inspectorate, Railway Inspectorate and the Petroleum Engineering Division of the Department of Energy, from 1983 but exclude the Pollution Inspectorate (formerly the Industrial Air Pollution Inspectorate). From 1980 to 1982 figures are for HM Factory Inspectorate, HM Agricultural Inspectorate and Local Authorities only. 2 Local Authorities. 3 HM Factory and Agricultural Inspecorate only. 4 HM Factory Inspectorate only. 5 Provisional data for the 12 month period April 1986 to March 1987.