To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was to the Health and Safety Executive in 2002–03 of employing casual staff, broken down by region; and when this practice will be terminated and only permanent staff employed. [132538]

During 2002–03, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) employed both casual and agency staff. We do not have details of the costs broken down by specific regions. The costs shown are the only breakdown available. A further breakdown could be made available only at disproportionate costs.

	Annual costs by region (£)
Agency staff
Bootle	660,844
London	418,180
Nationally	817,514
Sub total	1,896,538
Casual staff
Bootle	35,784
London	37,059
Nationally	18,288
Sub total	91,131
Agency and casual staff total	1,987,669

HSE has no plans to end the practice of using temporary staff. These contracts provide essential short-term cover for such events as maternity/sick cover, projects or gaps prior to recruitment. The use of temporary staff is carefully monitored to ensure that these are used only in appropriate circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the basis is of his policy that the Field Operations Division of the Health and Safety Executive no longer visit companies where an adverse insurance report indicating defects in plant and equipment has been received. [132541]

The Field Operations Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive has never had a policy to visit companies where an adverse inspection report has been received. Until recently they had an administrative procedure to write to companies asking them to confirm that action had been taken. This procedure, which involved 10 full time staff equivalents, added little or no value as companies had almost invariably acted on the report. The procedure was stopped in April 2003 and the administrative staff time applied to work more directly supporting inspectors.