HC Deb 26 April 1990 vol 171 cc320-1W
Mr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) factory and (b) agriculture inspectors by grade there were (i) in the field and (ii) in total on 31 March for each of the last 15 years; and what were the targets for each of those dates.

Mr. Nicholls

Information available about inspectors in post in past years is shown in the tables. On targets, I refer to my reply to the hon. Member on 8 November 1989; comparable figures for years before 1988 cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

Factory Inspectors in post in the field on 1 April in each year (within brackets: Total factory inspectors in HSE as a whole)
Grade1 CI DCI SAD SI DSI 1A 1B CL2 Total
1976 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 570.5 (624)
1977 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 602 (676.5)
1978 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 619 (695.5)
1979 — (1) — (9) 3 (3) 18 (20) 21 (62) 137 (155.5) 477 (492) — (—) 656 (742.5)
1980 — (1) — (10) 3 (3) 18 (21) 23 (62) 142 (163) 478.5 (499.5) — (—) 664.5 (759.5)
1981 — (1) — (9) 3 (3) 18 (20) 23 (62) 139 (159) 317.5 (342.5) 139 (139) 639.5 (735.5)
1982 — (1) 1 (9) 2 (2) 18 (20) 24 (57) 125 (148) 348 (364.5) 77 (77) 595 (678.5)
1983 — (1) 1 (9) 2 (2) 18 (19) 25 (63) 126 (148) 381.5 (393.5) 19 (19) 572.5 (654.5)
1984 — (1) 1 (7) 2 (2) 17 (18) 25 (59) 125 (151) 368 (378) 11 (11) 549 (627)
1985 — (1) 1 (7) 2 (2) 18 (19) 26 (57) 126 (154) 336 (352) 60 (60) 569 (652)
1986 — (1) 1 (7) 1 (2) 18 (20) 24 (44) 118 (152) 309 (328) 69 (69) 540 (623)
1987 — (1) 1 (6) 1 (2) 20 (22) 21 (42) 122.5 (156) 276 (295.5) 97 (97) 538.5 (621.5)
1988 — (1) — (4) 2 (3) 18 (21) 25 (43) 121.5 (158.5) 256 (270) 92 (92) 514.5 (592.5)
1989 — (1) — (4) 2 (4) 16 (19) 25 (38) 121.5 (162.5) 263.5 (276.5) 99 (99) 527 (604)
1990 — (1) — (4) 1 (4) 19 (22) 24 (34) 122.5 (161.5) 254 (269) 139 (139) 559.5 (634.5)
1 CI—Chief Inspector; DCI—Deputy Chief Inspector; SAD—Senior Area Director; SI—Superintending Inspector; DSI—Deputy Superintending Inspector; 1A—Inspector 1A; 1B—Inspector 1B; CL2—Inspector Class 2.

Agricultural inspectors in the field on 1 April in each year (within brackets: total agricultural inspectors in HSE as a whole)
Grade1 CI DCI DSI PAG I PAG SAG AG AAG Total
1976 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — (5)2
1977 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 178 (187)
1978 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 175 (186)
1979 — (1) — (3) — (—) — (—) 8 (10) 20 (25) 132 (132) 19 (19) 179 (190)
1980 — (1) — (3) — (—) — (—) 8 (10) 26 (30) 127 (127) 16 (16) 177 (187)
1981 — (1) — (2) — (—) — (—) 7 (10) 25 (29) 121 (121) 13 (13) 166 (176)
1982 1 (—) — (3) — (—) — (—) 8 (9) 26 (31) 110 (110) 12 (12) 156 (166)
1983 1 (—) — (2) — (—) — (—) (8) (10) 27 (31) 114 (115) — (—) 149 (159)
1984 1 (—) — (2) — (—) — (—) 6 (8) 26 (31) 112 (112) — (—) 144 (154)
1985 — (—) — (2) — (—) — (—) 8 (10) 26 (31) 99 (101) 17 (17) 150 (162)
1986 — (1) — (2) — (—) — (—) 8 (10) 26 (32) 90 (92) 26 (26) 150 (163)
1987 — (1) — (2) 3 (3) 6 (7) 24 (29) — (—) 83 (89) 35 (35) 151 (166)
1988 — (1) — (2) 3 (3) 6 (7) 24 (29) — (—) 81 (91) 25 (25) 139 (158)
1989 — (1) — (2) 3 (3) 6 (7) 24 (29) — (—) 86 (100) 23 (23) 142 (165)
1990 — (1) — (2) 3 (3) 6 (7) 23 (28) — (—) 90 (104) 26 (26) 148 (171)
1 CI—Chief Inspector; DCI—Deputy Chief Inspector; DSI—Deputy Superintending Inspector; PAG 1—Principal Argicultural Inspector (1); PAG—Principal Agricultural Inspector; SAG—Senior Agricultural Inspector; AG—Agricultural Inspector; AAG—Assistant Agricultural Inspector.
2 Agricultural Inspectors joined HSE from MAFF from March 1976, with the field force being in place by March 1977.

Mr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list each of the additional responsibilities taken on by(a) the agriculture and (b) the factory inspectorate in each of the past 15 years.

Mr. Nicholls

Over the past 15 years, the sphere of the Health and Safety Executive's agriculture and factory inspectors' responsibilities has extended in response to the developing nature of hazards arising out of work activity and the widening role of the Health and Safety Commission. Comprehensive information on these additional responsibilities as they occur year by year is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.