HC Deb 24 June 1996 vol 280 cc16-7W
Mr. Ian McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost in each of the past five years of(a) sick pay and (b) compensation paid to employees of his Department or their families, or members of the public, as a result of (i) minor, (ii) major and (iii) fatal injuries related to the work of his Department, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33494]

Mr. Howard

The available information for the past financial years is as follows:

Compensation 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96
Prison Service1 £717,000 £675,000 £628,000 £1,448,000 £810,000
Home Office (including its other agencies)2 n/a n/a 3£12,323 £9,695 £7,217
1 Payments relate to staff only and do not distinguish awards of more than £5,000.
2 Information for 1991–92 and 1992–93 was not collected.
3 Includes one payment of more than £5,000.

None of these payments was for incidents resulting in fatalities or involving information technology.

Information on sick pay and on the further breakdown of compensation payments could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in each of the past five years health and safety problems in his Department and its agencies have been reported via internal monitoring; and on how many occasions the Health and Safety Commission has become involved. [33492]

Mr. Howard

This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of his Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33495]

Mr. Howard

Expenditure to meet health and safety standards is not recorded separately.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) minor, (b) major and (c) fatal injuries have been suffered by staff in his Department and its agencies in work-related incidents in each of the past five years, showing in each year how many were related to information technology and giving details of all incidents involving fatalities [33493]

Mr. Howard

The available information requested is as follows:

Minor injuries 1Major injuries Fatal
1991 4,303 279 nil
1992 4,809 378 nil
1993 25,150 434 nil
1994 35,077 498 41
1995 4,741 270 nil
1 Major injuries are those defined as reportable under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985, which includes injuries resulting in more than three days absence from work.
2 Includes two injuries reported to have involved information technology.
3 Includes three injuries reported to have involved information technology.
4 The fatal injury was sustained by a member of the works staff at HM prison Haverigg on 24 August 1994.

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