Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 21 June,Official Report, column 282, how the degree of hazard and risk posed to employees and the public is measured if the Health and Safety Executive does not specifically identify high-risk and low-risk premises. [32316]
§ Mr. OppenheimHealth and Safety Executive inspectors use their professional judgement to assess the degree of hazard and risk posed to employees and the public when they visit premises. In the field operations division, this assessment is formalised in the inspection rating system referred to in my answer to the hon. Member on 21 June 1995,Official Report, column 282.
Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimated health and safety inspector time, in hours, has been spent(a) to date and (b) is planned, in preparing the consultative document, "The Role and Status of Approved Codes of Practice". [32314]
§ Mr. OppenheimDuring the preparation of the consultative document, on "The Role and Status of Approved Codes of Practice", which was published on 14 March 1995, all divisions of the Health and Safety Executive were consulted about its content and accuracy. The divisions contain inspectors engaged in both operational and policy work, some of whom contributed to the development of the consultative document. However, hours spent on this work and the grades of 175W personnel involved were not recorded and cannot now be estimated. Most of the work done in the preparation of the document was carried out by administrative staff.
Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 21 June,Official Report, column 281, what he estimates the final cost of undertaking the current review of the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division to be. [32315]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe current review of the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division will need to take account of the report of the senior management review of the Employment Department group which is being undertaken to follow up the White Paper "Continuity and Change" published last summer. That review is still in progress. It is not possible to anticipate the implications for the field operations division review, or its final cost.
Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total value of the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division training budget. [32376]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe training budget for 1995–96 administered by the field operations division is £678,380. This excludes costs of training for FOD staff provided by the Health and Safety Executive's central training management unit which in 1994–95 amounted to £1,191,165.
Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total value of the Health and Safety Executive's information technology budget. [32319]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe total value of the Health and Safety Executive's information technology budget for 1995–96 is £9,565,000.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ask the Secretary of State for Education to instruct local education authorities to submit annual accident returns to the Health and Safety Executive. [31761]
§ Mr. Oppenheim[holding answer 30 June 1995]: The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 currently require employers, including local education authorities, to notify forthwith the appropriate enforcing authority, for the purposes of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, in the event of an accident to any person arising out of or in connection with work and resulting in a fatality or major injury. Accidents at work to employees resulting in an absence of more than three days must be reported within seven days. For local education authorities the enforcing authority in all cases will be the Health and Safety Executive.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will instruct the Health and Safety Executive to prosecute when it is requested to do so by local authority child employment officers. [31762]
§ Mr. Oppenheim[holding answer 30 June 1995]: The Health and Safety Executive investigates information or complaints concerning the employment of children from local authority child employment officers or any other source. If children are found to be working illegally the employer is told to dismiss the children and their 176W employment is terminated at once. When deciding whether to prosecute, HSE considers the gravity of the offence, the general record and approach of the offender, the deterrent effect and whether the evidence available provides a realistic prospect of conviction.