§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what provisions he has made to provide local authorities with adequate funding to ensure they are70W financially able to carry out the inspection of those premises the responsibility for which was recently transferred from the Health and Safety Executive to local authorities; whether the budget of the Health and Safety Executive has been reassessed in the light of the transfer of this responsibility; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will list by region, county, district or other convenient division the number of premises, the responsibility for inspection of which has now been transferred from the Health and Safety Executive to local authorities; and what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities are fully aware of their new responsibilities and are carrying them out.
§ Mr. ForthThe Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1989 resulted in net transfer of enforcement responsibility for an estimated 120,000 premises to the 461 local authorities enforcing health and safety legislation in Great Britain. Information on the regional distribution of those premises is not available.
The regulations were the subject of extensive consultations and local authority associations gave assurances that the new responsibilities could be accommodated through greater use of priority planning systems which determine frequency of inspections. The HSE's resources are reviewed annually as part of the public expenditure survey and full account is taken of changing responsibilities.
Local authorities throughout the country have been made fully aware of their new responsibilities through local briefings and enforcement guidance to inspectors.