HC Deb 18 April 1989 vol 151 cc154-8W
18. Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many professional and technological officers the Health and Safety Executive had in place on 1 April.

Mr. Nicholls

On 1 April 1989 the Health and Safety Executive employed 29.5 members of the Civil Service professional and technology group. Most are employed by the executive's electrical equipment and certification service.

23. Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the Health and Safety Executive's budget provision for the next three years.

Mr. Nicholls

Gross provision for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive in the three years from 1 April last is £118.3 million, £125.9 million and £133.5 million. The provision allows for real growth in the executive's activities in all three years, including an increase in the number of inspectors, and of inspections. Details will be published shortly in the commission's plan of work for 1989–90 and beyond.

40. Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many reviews and audits of the staffing and structure of the Health and Safety Executive have been carried out in the past two years.

Mr. Nicholls

Between March 1987 and April 1989 there were some 19 reviews which examined, among other things, questions of staffing and structure. These included 12 reviews of particular parts of the organisation conducted by the Executive's management review section; four other internal reviews; and three independent(externally led) reviews.

Staffing and other resources requirements for the executive are reviewed annually by the commission in preparation for the public expenditure planning round.

43. Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many scientists have left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many were retirements and how many were resignations.

Mr. Nicholls

Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, a total of 22 scientists left the Health and Safety Executive. Of these, a total of six retired, 12 resigned, three transferred to other Government Departments and one died.

58. Mr. Ashton

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional staff the Health and Safety Executive required as a consequence of the passing of the lead regulations; and how many staff the executive estimated it would require at the initial drafting stage.

Mr. Nicholls

None in both cases. The enforcement of the regulations was expected to be, and has been, integrated into normal inspection arrangements.

66. Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total staffing level of the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

Mr. Nicholls

On 1 August 1975, the first date for which figures are available, 2,937 permanent staff were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 4,170 and 3,449 respectively.

68. Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff years were taken by the Health and Safety Executive's work on European Economic Community directives, legislation and initiatives in 1988; and how many are planned for 1989.

110. Mr. Boateng

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff years were taken by the Health and Safety Executive's work on European Economic Community directives, legislation and initiatives in 1988; and how many are planned for 1989.

Mr. Nicholls

The Health and Safety Executive's plans for 1989–90 allocate some 188 staff years specifically to work of international (mainly EC) origin: on legislation and other policy projects, development of safety standards, and notifications and assessments of substances. Information is not available on a comparable basis for the previous year. The estimate excludes senior management time and a significant proportion of staff time on other HSE functions which derives directly or indirectly from EC initiatives.

71. Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff were employed by the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advice services in each of the last three years.

Mr. Nicholls

The numbers of staff employed in the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advisory service at 1 April in each of the last three years were:

Number
1986 10.6
1987 98.5
1988 10.1

At 1 April 1989, a total of 102.5 staff were employed.

77. Mr. Denis Howell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many doctors left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many of them were retirements and how many were resignations.

Mr. Nicholls

Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, a total of nine doctors left the Health and Safety Executive. Of these, four retired, four resigned and one transferred to another Government Department.

83. Mr. Sean Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how often in the last five years cuts in the Health and Safety Executive's travel and subsistence budget have resulted in inspectors being prevented from making inspections on a planned basis.

Mr. Nicholls

The allocation of expenditure between travel and subsistence and other items of running cost is a matter for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. The commission has only once in the last five years (in 1987–88) sought additional running cost provision during the year. Ministers agreed to this in full.

87. Mr. Buchan

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many scientists were employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

96. Mr. McAvoy

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many scientists were employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

Mr. Nicholls

On 1 August 1975, the earliest date for which figures are available, 259 scientists were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the total were 355.5 and 300 respectively.

Mr. Clelland

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the targeted number of agricultural safety inspectors on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989 employed by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr. Nicholls

Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate joined the Health and Safety Executive from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during 1976–77, with the field force in place in HSE by 1 March 1977. On that date, there were 191 inspectors in post in HSE. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 190 and 165 respectively.

Mr. Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what work the Health and Safety Executive's medical division is currently undertaking on Legionnaires' disease.

Mr. Nicholls

In addition to continuing its wide-ranging programme of activities on Legionnaire's disease, the Health and Safety Commission has asked the HSE to undertake a review of policy on this subject.

102. Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the targeted number of factory inspectors on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989 employed by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr. Nicholls

On 1 July 1975, the earliest date for which figures are available, 557 factory inspectors were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 742.5 and 604 respectively.

112. Mr. Jim Callaghan

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the post of chief employment nursing adviser with the Health and Safety Executive will be filled.

Mr. Nicholls

This post has been advertised within the Health and Safety Executive and an appointment will be made as soon as a suitable candidate has been identified.

118. Mr. Allan Roberts

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many requests for advice and publications were received by the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advice services in each of the last three years.

Mr. Nicholls

The number of requests for advice and publications received in each of the last three years by the public inquiry points of the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advisory services was:

1986–87 1987–88 11988–89
Telephone inquiries 53,461 54,116 67,000
Letters received 34,205 27,603 36,000
Prestel frame accesses 95,000 98,510 100,000
Free leaflets issued 3,898,147 4,150,941 5,200,000
1Provisional.

123. Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many specialists have left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many were retirements and how many were resignations.

Mr. Nicholls

Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, a total of 17 specialist inspectors left the Health and Safety Executive; of these, five retired, nine resigned, and three transferred to other Government Departments.

135. Mr. Meale

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many mines inspectors and quarries inspectors the Health and Safety Executive had in place on 1 April.

Mr. Nicholls

On 1 April 1989 the Health and Safety Executive employed 58 mines inspectors and 11 quarries inspectors.

29. Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the targeted number of specialist inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

Mr. Nicholls

On 1 July 1975, the earliest date for which figures are available, 198 specialist inspectors were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 225 and 211 respectively.