Health and Safety Executive (Hansard, 22 July 2004)

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Health and Safety Executive(a) regulatory contacts and (b) investigations were carried out in each of the last seven years. [184679]

§ Jane Kennedy
The numbers of regulatory contacts and investigations carried out by the Health and Safety Executive over the last seven years are as follows.
440W

Report year (April to March) Regulatory contacts Investigations

1997–98 186,065 33,585

1998–99 183,292 32,200

1999–2000 185,496 35,551

2000–01 192,693 40,774

2001–02 195,695 37,855

2002–03 218,574 34,724

2003–04 206,460 27,816

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many(a) incidents and (b) complaints were (i) reported to and (ii) investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last seven years. [184680]

§ Jane Kennedy
Incidents and complaints, reported to and investigated by the Health and Safety Executive are as follows:

Report year (April to March) Incidents reported Complaints reported Incidents investigated Complaints investigated

1997–98 n/a n/a ¹33,585

1998–99 164,912 29,610 9,400 22,800

1999–2000 160,514 30,901 10,844 24,707

2000–01 164,287 28,933 15,489 25,285

2001–02 156,058 28,021 13,421 24,434

2002–03 142,418 27,554 11,251 23,473

2003–04 ²n/a 24,404 ³5,288 22,528

¹ Total.

² Data will be available on 18 November 2004.

³ In 2003–04 HSE's target was to investigate 95 per cent. of reported incidents that met its published investigation criteria. In previous years the HSE target was to investigate a percentage of reported incidents (different targets for each year). In 2003–04, HSE achieved its targets for percentage of complaints followed up (plan—90 per cent.; outturn—94.8 per cent.) and incidents investigated (plan—95 per cent.; outturn—97.66 per cent.)

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of information being laid by the Health and Safety Executive in order to support a prosecution there have been in each of the last seven years. [184682]

§ Jane Kennedy
Over the last seven years the following number of offences have been prosecuted in Great Britain, following investigation by the Health and Safety Executive. Each offence prosecuted represents one information laid or, in Scotland, charge preferred. The information given is publicly available. The 2003–04 figures will be publicly released in the Offences and Penalties Report, due for release in late October 2004.

Year¹ Total offences prosecuted

1996–97 1,490

1997–98 1,627

1998–99 1,759

1999–2000 2,115

2000–01 1,973

2001–02 1,986

2002–03 1,659

¹ Year refers to operational year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March.

Report year (April to March)	Regulatory contacts	Investigations
1997–98	186,065	33,585
1998–99	183,292	32,200
1999–2000	185,496	35,551
2000–01	192,693	40,774
2001–02	195,695	37,855
2002–03	218,574	34,724
2003–04	206,460	27,816

Report year (April to March)	Incidents reported	Complaints reported	Incidents investigated	Complaints investigated
1997–98	n/a	n/a	¹33,585
1998–99	164,912	29,610	9,400	22,800
1999–2000	160,514	30,901	10,844	24,707
2000–01	164,287	28,933	15,489	25,285
2001–02	156,058	28,021	13,421	24,434
2002–03	142,418	27,554	11,251	23,473
2003–04	²n/a	24,404	³5,288	22,528
¹ Total.
² Data will be available on 18 November 2004.
³ In 2003–04 HSE's target was to investigate 95 per cent. of reported incidents that met its published investigation criteria. In previous years the HSE target was to investigate a percentage of reported incidents (different targets for each year). In 2003–04, HSE achieved its targets for percentage of complaints followed up (plan—90 per cent.; outturn—94.8 per cent.) and incidents investigated (plan—95 per cent.; outturn—97.66 per cent.)

Year¹	Total offences prosecuted
1996–97	1,490
1997–98	1,627
1998–99	1,759
1999–2000	2,115
2000–01	1,973
2001–02	1,986
2002–03	1,659
¹ Year refers to operational year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March.