Health And Safety At Work Etc Act 1974

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which were taken (a) on summary conviction and (b) on indictment, with the results and average fine, for the years 1974 to 1982, inclusive.

Table 1 shows available results for total prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.Information about prosecutions taken on indictment is readily available only for Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. The figures are given in table 2.

Table 2
	Cases taken on indictment (Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate only)
	Informations laid	Convictions	Withdrawn	Dismissed	Average fine per conviction £
1976	2	2	—	—	4,000
1977	10	5	5	—	640
1978	17	9	1	7	1,111
1979	10	2	4	4	3,250
1980	11	8	1	2	2,656

Note:

Figures for other Inspectorates, and for Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate for 1981, could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

General note to tables:

One case can cover several informations. Information for 1982 is not yet available. Details for 1975 are not available as the Act was introduced at various stages throughout that year, and comprehensive records were not collated. The results of local authority prosecutions are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list (a) the number of prosecutions and (b) the average fine under relevant sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, for the years 1974 to 1982, inclusive.

Table 1
Prosecutions by Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
	1976		1977		1978
Section	Number	Average fine (£)	Number	Average fine (£)	Number	Average fine (£)
2	184	183	344	148	325	187
3	36	124	45	176	65	210
4	9	75	24	170	19	162
6	11	117	26	128	29	153
7	12	42	20	59	23	61
8	1	100	—	—	1	5
33	93	65	114	77	114	102
36	1	60	—	—	8	155
37	2	175	5	70	26	100
Others	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total	349	135	578	131	610	160

	1979		1980		1981 (provisional)
Section	Number	Average fine (£)	Number	Average fine (£)	Number	Average fine (£)
2	263	270	261	259	181	300
3	63	287	70	502	59	186
4	23	561	39	274	37	239
6	27	220	27	236	9	367
7	37	90	38	82	20	87
8	—	—	—	—	—	—
33	101	139	112	173	41	208
36	16	364	2	325	4	125
37	10	158	15	143	4	238
Others	—	—	—	—	32	140
Total	540	240	564	255	387	240

Notes:

(1) Number = number of informations laid. One case can cover several informations.

(2) Average fine = average fine per conviction.

Note:

Information for 1982 is not yet available. Details for 1975 are not available as the Act was introduced at various stages throughout that year, and comprehensive records by section of the Act were not collated.

Table 2
Prosecutions by local authorities under the Health and Safety at Work etc.Act 1974
Section of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
2	—	4	89	72	185	174
3	—	—	21	18	25	20

Information of this kind is readily available only for those cases for which Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate is responsible, and is given in table 1.Table 2 shows prosecutions taken by local authorities broken down by sections of the Act. Details of fines are not available.

Section of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981
4	—	2	6	4	10	3
6	—	—	5	1	2	1
7	—	—	13	16	15	5
8	—	—	4	—	1	—
9	—	—	1	—	—	—
Other and unspecified offences	18	28	55	45	39	45
Total	18	34	194	156	111	243

Notes:

Informations laid—one case can cover several informations. See note to table 1.

Volume 34: debated on Tuesday 14 December 1982