§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what time was spent by the Health and Safety Executive's DSI grade on standard setting work in each of the national interest groups. [29210]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the industry advisory committees will be consulted about the recommendations of the Health and Safety Executive's management arrangements feasibility study as they affect(a) the area office network and (b) the national interest group structure. [29226]
§ Mr. OppenheimIndustry advisory committees will not be specifically consulted about the recommendations of the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division management arrangements feasibility study.
However, relevant industry advisory committees will be consulted about any implications for them which may arise from a review of national interest groups now in progress.
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage contact time spent by principal factory inspectors in(a) the London South area office and (b) the Nottingham area office of the Health and Safety Executive between 1 April 1994 and 1 April 1995. [29209]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe contact time by principal factory inspectors as a percentage of their total available time between 1 April 1994 and 31 March 1995 averaged 15.1 per cent. in the north midlands (Nottingham) area, and in the London South area averaged 10.5 per cent.
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what changes to the Health and Safety Executive's efficiency or effectiveness have arisen from the recommendations of the management arrangements feasibility study. [29225]
§ Mr. OppenheimRecommendations of the management arrangements feasibility study remain the subject of consultation with Health and Safety Executive staff. No decisions have yet been made by HSE about their implementation.
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information the Health and Safety Executive will maintain on the new FOCUS computer212W system on (a) the number of visits undertaken by inspectors and (b) the time spent on these visits; and what information of this type the Health and Safety Executive currently maintains on its existing computer system. [29219]
§ Mr. OppenheimFOCUS will record all visits by inspectors, and doctors and nurses, in the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division. It will record the time spent on each of these visits, and will provide an aggregate.
There are currently different recording systems for different disciplines within FOD. Whilst all enable aggregate time spent on planned activities to be assessed, only one isolates visit time.
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment, how many(a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed by EMAS in each of the Health and Safety Executive's area offices on (a) 1 April 1994 and (b) 1 April 1995. [29211]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe following tables show the number of doctors and nurses of the employment medical advisory service working in each of the Health and Safety Executive's area offices on 1 April 1994 and 1 April 1995.
213W
Area Doctors Nurses 1 April 1994 South West 2 3 South 3 3 South East 2 2 London North 2 3 London South 1 0.5 East Anglia 2.5 2 Northern Home Counties 1 2 East Midlands 1 2 West Midlands 1 3 Wales 3 4 Marches 2 2 North Midlands 2.5 1 South Yorkshire and Humberside 3 2 West and North Yorkshire 2.5 2 Greater Manchester 3.5 2 Merseyside 2.5 1 North West 2 2 North East 3 4 Scotland East 4 3 Scotland West 1.5 2 Total 45 45.5 1 April 1995 South West 1 3 South 3 3 South East 1 1 London North 1.83 1.67 London South 1.83 0.83 East Anglia 2.5 1 Northern Home Counties 1 2 East Midlands 0 2 West Midlands 1 2 Wales 2 4 Marches 1 1 North Midlands 2 1 South Yorkshire and Humberside 2 2 West and North Yorkshire 1 1 Greater Manchester 3 2 Merseyside 1 1 North West 1 1
Area Doctors Nurses North East 3 4 Scotland East 2 3 Scotland West 1.68 2 Total 32.84 38.5
§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the categories of information made available for public scrutiny by the Health and Safety Executive under the open government provisions; and if he will list the location and format in which each category of information is available. [29081]
§ Mr. OppenheimUnder the commitments in the code of practice on access to Government information and the requirements on the Environmental Information Regulations 1992, the Health and Safety Executive makes publicly available on request all health, safety and environmental information it holds, subject to the exempted categories of information in the code, the excepted categories of information in the regulations and any other statutory restrictions on the disclosure of information it holds.
Requests may be made to HSE's Sheffield information centre or to any HSE area office. Information will be provided in the format requiring the least use of public resources.
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many visits were made by the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates in the 12 months to 1 April. [29218]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe Health and Safety Executive's field operations division factory, agricultural and quarries inspectorates carried out 136,889 planned inspection visits in 1994–95.