HC Deb 22 June 1995 vol 262 cc384-6W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of surveys and official statistics on the number of school-age children involved in accidents while in paid employment in each year since 1985. [30287]

Mr. Oppenheim

The survey reports of which I am aware are unrepresentative of the country as a whole and inadequately distinguish between serious accidents which should be reported to the enforcing authorities and minor cuts and bruises.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what statistics are available concerning the number of accidents to school-age children involved in paid employment in the years 1992–93 and 1993–94. [30288]

Mr. Oppenheim

The tables show injuries to employed people aged under 16 reported to the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates and to local authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985:

Injuries to employees1 aged under 16 reported to HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates and Local Authorities, 1992–93 and 1993–94 by industry
Industry 1992–93 1993–94
Agriculture 10 5
Manufacturing 2 10
Construction 3 4
Wholesale distribution 1
Retail distribution 9 4
Hotels and catering 3 2
Repair of consumer goods and vehicles 1
Transport and communication
Banking, finance and business services 1
Other services 7 7
Unclassified 1
Total 36 34

Injuries to employees1 aged under 16 reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and local authorities, 1992–93 and 1993–94 by severity of injury
Year Fatal Major2 Over 3 day3 Total
1992–93 1 11 24 36
1993–94 1 16 17 34
Total 2 27 41 70
Notes:
1 including trainees.
2 as defined in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985, and including injuries which require a stay in hospital of over 24 hours.
3 injuries which cause absence from work for more than three days.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department(a) collects and (b) collates information and statistics concerning the incidence of accidents to children in paid employment who are of school-leaving age. [30289]

Mr. Oppenheim

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985, employers have a duty to report to the relevant enforcing authority injuries, arising out of work activity, to employees of all ages. The relevant authority may be either the Health and Safety Executive or the local authority.

Reports made to HSE are collated and held centrally. Information from reports made to local authorities is submitted annually to HSE on a voluntary basis and aggregated with the reports made direct to HSE.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available for each year since 1985 concerning children involved in accidents while in paid(a) agricultural and (b) horticultural employment; [30286]

Mr. Oppenheim

The table shows injuries to employees aged under 16 reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 in each year for which reliable figures are available. The figure in brackets show the only injury reported in Wales.

Injuries to employees1 aged under 16 in agriculture and horticulture2 reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and local authorities, from 1987–88 to 1993–94—by severity of injury
Year Fatal Major3 Over 3 day3 Total
1987–88 1 8 5 14
1988–89 1 1 2
1989–90 5 4 9
1990–91 1 4 5
1991–92 1 1
1992–93 6 4(1) 10(1)
1993–94 1 3 1 5
Notes:
1 Including trainees.
2 As defined by Standard Industrial Classification 01
3 As defined in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985, and including injuries which require a stay in hospital of over 24 hours.
4 Injuries which cause absence from work for more than three days.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what assessment has been made of surveys and official statistics on the number of school-age children in Wales involved in accidents while engaged in paid(a) agricultural and (b) horticultural employment in each year since 1985; [30285]

(2) what assessment has been made of surveys and official statistics on the number of school-age children in Wales involved in accidents while engaged in paid (a) agricultural and (b) horticultural employment in each year since 1985. [30283]

Mr. Oppenheim

The survey reports of which I am aware are unrepresentative of Wales and the country as a whole and inadequately distinguish serious accidents which should be reported to the enforcing authorities from minor cuts and bruises.

The official statistics show that one injury was reported in Wales in the period, from 1987–88 to 1993–94, for which reliable figures are —available.