asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has sufficient specialist staff to carry out its duties effectively; how many specialist staff were employed by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in 1979; how this compares with each of the previous five years; what steps he is taking to encourage recruitment and reduce staff losses; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 February 1980, c. 295–6]: The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate is able with its current resources to carry out its essential functions in relation to the safety of nuclear installations. There were 88 nuclear installations inspectors employed in the inspectorate on 3 December 1979. Figures for the period since the formation of the Health and Safety Executive are as follows:

November 1975	98
December 1976	115
December 1977	111
December 1978	91

During 1978 responsibility for radiological protection work together with the necessary staff were transferred to another part of the HSE. This accounts for the drop in numbers of inspectors from 1977 to 1978.A recruitment competition began in December 1979 to fill existing vacancies at principal inspector and inspector levels. A further recruitment competition is planned for 1980.