HC Deb 26 June 2003 vol 407 cc966-8W
Gregory Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received regarding the Government's welfare to work targets. [120884]

Mr. Browne

The Department has not received any representations regarding the Government's welfare to work targets. Workplace Health and Safety

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average period of time is between visits to places of employment by health and safety inspectors in England and Wales. [118552]

Mr. Browne

HSE's operational directorates and divisions deal with a wide range of workplaces, both fixed and transient, across several employment sectors. This requires HSE to adopt different approaches based on understanding of hazards and risks and the performance of duty holders. Higher risk sites and high hazard sites where there is potential for catastrophic events are visited more frequently than lower risk sites which might be visited infrequently. The lowest risk sites might be contacted through other means than visits such as seminars and mailshots.

In addition, local authorities have inspection responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for approximately 1.2 million premises in the retail, finance and leisure sectors.. Intervention strategies are based on assessments of intrinsic hazard and risk and judgments about the competence and willingness of duty holders to control risks and comply with the law. Intervals between visits will vary substantially between sectors and between duty holders within each sector. For these reasons it is not possible to provide a meaningful average for the frequency of visits.