§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list those schools in Staffordshire which have been inspected by the Health and Safety Executive, indicating their findings in respect of health and safety in respect of school transport arrangements. [40742]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordI have been asked to reply.
HSE inspectors have limited enforcement responsibilities for school transport. The safety of school transport vehicles, on the road are covered by various Road Traffic Acts which are enforced by the police or Department of Transport.
However, HSE inspectors will normally discuss during school inspections the management arrangements for health and safety during school activities, and this might include discussion on the arrangements in place for managing health and safety during school trips in the school's own transport or in that from a contractor, and for the movement of vehicles on school premises.
In Staffordshire, policies on school transport and trips have been discussed by HSE inspectors with individual schools and centrally with Staffordshire education authority. The education authority produced a comprehensive policy on school transport in 1995 and this appears to have been implemented at schools recently visited. These include:
- Thomas Alleyne's High School, Uttoxeter
- Paulet High School, Burton on Trent
- Mary Hill Comprehensive, Kidsgrove
- Leek High School, Leek
- Merryfields Special School, Newcastle under Lyme
- Flash Ley County First School, Stafford
- Haywood High School, Burslem
- Leasowes County Infants, Stafford
- Clayton High School, Newcastle
- St. Nicholas CE First School, Codsall
- Marshlands Special School, Stafford
- St. Dominics Independent Girls School, Stafford
- St. Chads Cathedral School, Lichfield.