To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the criteria in terms of size, equipment, number of employees and other factors, which determine whether the factory inspectorate visits a factory, and the interval between visits.

All factories registered with the Health and Safety Executive are subject to inspection, regardless of size, equipment and number of employees. The factors taken into account in determining when an inspector visits a factory include the factory inspectorate's system of priority assessment for preventive inspection, required remedial action following an earlier visit, an incident, a complaint, necessary special inquiries or a request for advice by the management. There is no fixed period between inspections.