§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of accidents at work in each year since 1990; and if she will make a statement. [9442]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordI have been asked to reply.
The Health and Safety Executive estimates that the total cost to the economy of work accidents, including preventable damage-only accidents, and work-related ill health was between £6 billion and £12 billion in 1990.
The next updating of these costs by the Health and Safety Executive will be in 1998. The updating will cover costs for 1995–96, on which the necessary data will be compiled from the Labour Force Survey.