House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Jan 1989

Mr. Lee : My Department operates a wide range of employment, enterprise, and training measures and offers services in support of small firms and tourism, all of which are available to people throughout north Devon, including Ilfracombe.

During the 12 months to November 1988 unemployment in the Devon, North constituency fell by 909--26 per cent. of the November 1987 figure. In the same period unemployment in the Barnstaple and Ilfracombe travel-to-work area has fallen by 713--24 per cent. of the November 1987 figure.

Construction Industry

15. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to reduce fatalities in the construction industry in the London area.

Mr. Nicholls : In my answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Doran) earlier today, I set out the action being taken to improve safety in the construction industry on a national basis. As regards London, the action being taken is the same.

47. Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to reduce deaths and crippling injuries in the construction industry.

66. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to reduce fatalities in the construction industry caused by the use of crane excavators and dumpers.

Mr. Nicholls : New regulations are being prepared which provide for the management and co-ordination of health and safety on multi-contractor sites, increase the number of safety supervisors in smaller companies and amend the site notification procedure to identify sites where there are high-risk activities. The introduction of regulations which would make the wearing of safety helmets compulsory on constructions sites is also planned.

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In addition to concentrating on the inspection of the more hazardous activities in the industry. Health and Safety Executive inspectors will also be paying more attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage health and safety. They will be looking at the level of training and supervision that has been provided and the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents. They will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

55. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to ensure that health and safety law is enforced more stringently on those who have charge of others on construction sites.

Mr. Nicholls : I am confident that the law is already being enforced stringently. However, new regulations are being prepared which provide for the management and co-ordination of health and safety on multi-contractor sites and increase the number of safety supervisors in smaller companies.

The Health and Safety Commission has also recently published two booklets aimed at improving safety management in the construction industry and in future the Health and Safety Executive inspectors will be paying special attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage health and safety.

Inspectors will also be looking at the level of training and supervision that has been provided and the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents. They will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

62. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to protect those members of the public who stray on to construction sites.

Mr. Nicholls : At visits to construction sites, inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive will continue to remind employers and contractors of their obligation under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure that the health and safety of persons not in their employment, including members of the public, is not affected by the way in which they carry out their operations. Enforcement action will be taken in appropriate cases where this duty is not met.

The Health and Safety Executive is currently revising its published guidance to the industry on the safety of children at construction sites and will continue to use the media to remind contractors, children, parents, teachers and members of the public before major school holidays of the dangers of construction sites.

91. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to reduce fatalities in the construction industry due to poor maintenance of plant and equipment.

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In addition to concentrating on the inspection of the more hazardous activities in the industry, Health and Safety Executive inspectors will also be paying more attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage health and safety.

They will be looking at the level of training and supervision that has been provided and the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents such as those arising from poor maintenance of plant and equipment. They will continue to draw attention to Health and Safety Executive published guidance on the maintenance of plant and equipment.

Inspectors will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

96. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to reduce fatalities in the construction industry due to electrical hazards.

Mr. Nicholls : New electricity at work regulations have recently been proposed to the Secretary of State by the Health and Safety Commission and are currently being considered. They are directed at the prevention of injury due to electrical hazards at all places of work including construction sites.

Other new regulations are being prepared which provide for the management and co-ordination of health and safety on multi-contractor sites, increase the number of safety supervisors in smaller companies and amend the site notification procedure to identify sites where there are high-risk activities.

In addition to concentrating on the inspection of the more hazardous activities in the industry, health and safety executive inspectors will also be paying more attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage heath and safety.

They will be looking at the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents, such as those arising from electrical hazards, and will continue to draw attention to HSE published guidance. A new guidance note "Avoiding Danger from Underground Services" will be published in the near future.

Inspectors will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

102. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to reduce the number of deaths from construction accidents.

In addition to concentrating on the inspection of the more hazardous activities in the industry, HSE inspectors will also be paying more attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage health and safety.

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They will be looking at the level of training and supervision that has been provided and the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents.

They will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

105. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to reduce fatalities in the construction industry caused by fires and explosions.

In addition to concentrating on the inspection of the more hazardous activities in the industry, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors will also be paying more attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage health and safety. They will be looking at the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents such as those arising from fires and explosions and will continue to draw attention to HSE published guidance on fire and explosion risks. A new guidance note "Avoiding Danger from Underground Services" will be published in the near future. Inspectors will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

109. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to reduce fatalities in the construction industry caused by falling materials or objects.

In addition to concentrating on the inspection of the more hazardous activities in the industry, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors will also be paying more attention to the quality of site management and its ability to manage health and safety. Inspectors will be looking at the level of training and supervision that has been provided and the precautions that have been taken to prevent accidents such as those caused by falling materials and objects and will continue to draw attention to HSE published guidance on this subject. They will pursue their inquiries and any enforcement action to the highest levels in companies which do not measure up to the standards expected of them.

Employment for the 1990s"

16. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received following the publication of the White Paper, "Employment for the 1990s", and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Fowler : To date, over 300 organisations and individuals have made representations about the White Paper "Employment for the 1990s". The overwhelming majority have expressed interest in and support for the establishment of the new training and enterprise councils.

Tourism

17. Mr. Harris : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received in response to his tourism review ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee : The review team has spoken to almost 150 individuals and organisations in the tourism industry in preparing the report. In addition, I have received a number of written submissions which have also been seen by the review team. I have also received a number of representations on matters of tourism policy which I shall be considering in addition to the report from the review team.

21. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the chairman of the British Tourist Authority to discuss the promotion of tourism in the north-west of England.

Mr. Lee : I last met the chairman of the British Tourist Authority on 9 November 1988. Discussions related to the promotion of tourism in all parts of the country.

22. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in tourism and tourism-related employment in the United Kingdom in December 1988 and December 1983 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee : The latest available estimate for employment in tourism- related industries relates to September 1988, when there were 1.4 million employees in employment in tourism-related industries. The equivalent estimates for September and December 1983 are 1.2 million and 1.1 million respectively.

23. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the tourism review.

Mr. Fowler : I hope to consider the report on this shortly.

24. Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to support tourism and leisure industries within traditional seaside resort towns.

Mr. Lee : The development of the tourism and leisure industries in seaside towns is primarily a matter for the private sector and the local authorities. The national and regional tourist boards provide support and advice through a range of marketing and development activities.

34. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications were received by the tourist boards for section 4 tourist grant ; what were the total funds awarded in 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee : In 1988, 694 applications were considered for assistance by the English tourist board under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969. The total value of assistance offered during this period was £12.3 million.

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Rural Areas

19. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what specific proposals he has to reduce unemployment in rural areas.

Mr. Cope : Specific measures introduced by my Department and others to help rural areas are described in "Action for Rural Enterprise" available to Members from the House of Commons Library. Since this was published, our adult training provision has been reorganised and enhanced by the introduction of employment training and we are currently examining ways of further improving rural access to our programmes and services.

Employment Training

25. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the progress of the employment training scheme in inner city areas.

Mr. Nicholls : Employment training is progressing well in inner city areas, as it is elsewhere. Information on the numbers in training in inner city areas will be available at the end of January.

36. Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will provide the latest available figures for (a) the numbers of places and (b) the numbers of trainees in employment training.

Mr. Nicholls : There is provision for up to 300,000 places on employment training once the programme is fully operational. At 6 January there were 111,000 people training on the programme.

42. Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently undertaking training on the employment training scheme ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls : The number of people training on employment training at 6 January 1989 was 111,000. This is a tremendous achievement after just four months of the programme's operation and is a reflection of the considerable interest shown by unemployed people in getting quality training to help them get back into a job.

48. Mr. Ground : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the employment training programme.

Mr. Nicholls : Employment training has made a tremendous start. On 6 January, just four months after the programme's launch, there were already 111,000 people training on the programme.

58. Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of places on employment training have been taken up by workers aged 50 years or more ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls : The information available is for those aged 51 years and over. So far, about 5 per cent. of all those joining the programme have been in this age group. The programme will continue to provide opportunities for unemployed people over 50 who want to improve their prospects of getting a job through quality training.

81. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to meet the general

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secretary of the Trades Union Congress to discuss the employment training scheme ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls : I have no plans to do so. Employment training has made a very successful start with over 100,000 people training after just three months. The policy adopted at the last conference of the Trades Union Congress towards the programme cannot help long-term unemployed people to get back into jobs.

83. Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his proposals to meet the skill shortages currently encountered by British industry and commerce.

Mr. Cope : I refer my hon. Friend to the training section of the White Paper "Employment for the 1990s", published last month. About 100 training and enterprise councils are to be established with this as one of their prime goals. The business growth through training programme also announced in the recent White Paper will help employers to develop strategies for the training and development of their staff in line with business objectives.

The Training Agency plays a strategic role in helping employers to plan and take action to develop occupationally specific skills. It seeks to develop young people and to help reskill unemployed adults with programmes to meet labour market needs. Both YTS and employment training are delivered in close collaboration with local industry and commerce.

88. Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish estimates of the effects of his White Paper, "Employment for the 1990s", on employer-based training ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Cope : The aim of the new framework for training set out in the White Paper is to ensure that training is carried out to the scale and to the quality our economy will require in the 1990s.

97. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from Bury council on the employment training scheme.

Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has not received any representations from Bury metropolitan borough council about employment training. Bury college had a contract with the Training Agency to operate as a training agent for employment training. The decision of the borough council to terminate this contract following threatened industrial action by the local branch of NALGO is most deplorable. This cannot possibly be of any help to unemployed people in Bury.

113. Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will provide the latest available figures for those transferring to employment training from the community programme.

Mr. Nicholls : By the end of October 1988, the latest date for which information is available, a total of about 6,000 people had transferred from the community programme to employment training.

Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of employment training places are employer based.

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Mr. Nicholls : At 6 January there were 111,000 people training on employment training. Information on the percentage of trainees in employer based training is not yet available, but will be available at the end of this month.

Employer Networks

26. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what role he proposes for employer networks in the training and employment councils proposed in his White Paper, "Employment in the 1990s" ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Cope : In some areas local employer networks might form the nucleus of a training and enterprise council. In other areas training and enterprise councils might absorb their functions or link with them in a constructive way.

Job Clubs

27. Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of job clubs.

92. Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current number of job clubs in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee : There are currently 1,220 job clubs open. Since April 1986, when central records began, 121,494 people participating in the job club programme have found jobs and a further 31,268 have gone into other positive outcomes, such as training, a place on the community programme or the enterprise allowance scheme. Currently, 71 per cent. of all those leaving a job club do so having achieved a positive outcome. The shape of the programme for 1989-90 is currently under consideration as part of the employment service's annual planning round.

I am pleased that job clubs are continuing to give such positive help to long-term unemployed people who are at a disadvantage in the labour market.

EC (Ministerial Meetings)

28. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the other Employment Ministers of the European Economic Community countries to discuss unemployment ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Cope : The next full meeting of European Community Labour and Social Affairs Ministers will be on 6 March at an informal meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council. The United Kingdom will continue its efforts to ensure that trainig and employment growth are Community priorities. Meanwhile, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I also have frequent bilateral meetings with other Community Ministers.

Lost Working Days

29. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost through strikes in 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls : The estimate of the number of working days lost through stoppages of work due to industrial

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disputes in 1988 is not yet available. The most recently available figure for a 12-month period is for the period ending October 1988 during which it is provisionally estimated that 3,719,000 working days were lost.

33. Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to reduce the incidence of injuries causing people to be off work for over three days.

Mr. Nicholls : Responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of people at work is laid upon employers by the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. The efforts of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive are targeted on those areas of work where people are at the greatest risk from death, injury or disease.

For 1988-89 the Government increased provision to the commission by £6.7 million gross above the level previously planned. In 1989-90 planned provision will be raised by a further £8.8 million gross, allowing for gross expenditure of £118.3 million. The planned provision for 1989-92 allows for real growth in the HSE's activities. This will enable the executive to increase the number of inspectors and the amount of inspection planned to promote and secure compliance with the law in order to help prevent occupational fatalities, injuries and diseases.

56. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost through strikes in December 1987 and December 1978 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls : The number of working days lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in December 1987 was 60,000 ; the comparable figure for December 1978 was 542,000.

YTS

31. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the number of vacancies on the YTS in the Norwich area.

Mr. Cope : At 16 December 1988, of 2,920 agreed YTS places in the Norwich local authority district 787 were unfilled.

35. Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Government are in a position to carry out their commitment of a guaranteed YTS place ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Cope : Yes. There are more than sufficient unfilled YTS places available in all areas of the country to fulfil the guarantee of the offer of a suitable YTS place to all who apply.

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