HC Deb 27 March 2003 vol 402 c321W
Mrs. Roe

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 13 March 2002,Official Report, column 362W, on employers' liability insurance, if she will make a statement on the income of workplace contacts; what estimate she makes of the number of construction and allied trade companies there are in the UK; and how many health and safety inspectors there are; and what priorities she has set for these duties. [104913]

Mr. Wilson

The Department does not have specific remit for health and safety matters. The Health and Safety Executive comes under the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions. HSE advises that it employs staff at pay band 5 to act as Workplace Contact Officers, their average salary cost is £19,883 (outside of London).

The latest Construction Statistics Annual shows that, as of September 2002, there were approximately 166,000 construction and allied trade companies in the UK.

HSE has increased the number of inspectors working in the construction industry from 118 to 150 over the last year as a result of its redirection of resources to HSE's Priority Programmes and the setting up of a new national HSE Construction Division. HSE's Construction Division has published an intervention strategy which identifies its key priorities for the medium term. This is available at www.hse.gov.uk/press/2002/construct.htm. It aims to: encourage greater commitment to achieving improved health and safety performance targets from all those in the construction procurement and supply chain; encourage better communication and co-operation between all those involved in delivering a safe and healthy work environment; and promote the development of a competent workforce at all levels.

Their priorities for the year are: Reducing the incidence of cement dermatitis Reversing the increased incidence of hand arm vibration syndrome Reducing exposure to noise Reducing worker exposure to the risk of musculo-skeletal injury Workplace transport Work at height Slips, trips and falls

In addition HSE investigates complaints and accidents, which meet published selection criteria.