Chamber
Plenary, 30 Oct 2003
30 Oct 2003 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
European Week for Safety and Health
I begin by congratulating Karen Gillon on securing time for the debate. Despite her concerns about its being in the Thursday afternoon slot, I am sure that the attendance reflects members' concerns about health and safety. I especially welcome the fact that we are holding the debate around the time of the European week for safety and health, although it ought to be said that every week should be a health and safety week.
I pay tribute to the trade unions for the efforts that they have made in pursuing the Government to implement robust workplace health and safety legislation and to ensure that employers are forced to provide their employees with the necessary protection under those health and safety regulations.
Cathy Peattie illustrated the extent of the work that has still to be done to make the workplace much safer for employees. Many employers tend to try to ignore health and safety regulations if they can. It is important that procurators fiscal and the Crown Office take prosecutions on such statutory matters very seriously, and that they have the resources to carry out what can often be complex and detailed investigations in the pursuit of individual cases against employers. I hope that the minister can assure us that the Crown Office is aware of the need to pursue such matters vigorously.
I wish to touch on two issues under the wider matter of health and safety regulations. My particular interest in the matter lies in the extension of health and safety regulations to the police. When that happened, the regulations were by default extended to include mountain rescue teams. As a member of a mountain rescue team, I can report that such teams have indeed had to comply with the health and safety regulations. The result is that they have had to allow for a higher turnover in their personal safety equipment and in general safety equipment for their teams. Mountain rescue teams' problem is that they are voluntary organisations that are having to raise more and more funds in order to comply with health and safety regulations. I hope that ministers will ensure that the funding that is to be provided to the police for mountain rescue purposes reflects the increasing demands that are being placed upon mountain rescue teams.
Cathy Peattie mentioned the particular Scottish dimension in health in safety. There is an issue around the accountability of the Health and Safety Executive and how it interprets regulations. Cathy Peattie and I have both been involved in the matter of the Health and Safety Executive's decision to extend the consultation zone around the Grangemouth oil refinery from roughly 1 mile to 3 miles. The zone now takes in a wide range around the refinery. No one says that we should compromise on the safety of residents living within that zone, but it is interesting to note that other countries have chosen to interpret matters differently as regards their oil refineries.
Falkirk Council has highlighted the danger that the Health and Safety Executive might, in relation to the Grangemouth area, have chosen to interpret the new regulations in a way that could stifle economic development, leading to population decline and possibly causing a whole range of problems in the community. It is important that the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Executive recognise, despite the fact that health and safety is a reserved matter, that the concerns that have been expressed in the Scottish Parliament must be taken into account and acted upon.
Also in relation to the consultation zone around Grangemouth refinery, I hope that the idea—which has attracted cross-party support—of a review of the way in which call-in procedures operate will be pursued. The likelihood is that if a 3-mile consultation zone goes ahead—indeed, it is already operating—it will cause serious problems for any development in the Grangemouth area. I believe that that would stifle development, which would be to the detriment of the area in general.
I pay tribute to the trade unions for the efforts that they have made in pursuing the Government to implement robust workplace health and safety legislation and to ensure that employers are forced to provide their employees with the necessary protection under those health and safety regulations.
Cathy Peattie illustrated the extent of the work that has still to be done to make the workplace much safer for employees. Many employers tend to try to ignore health and safety regulations if they can. It is important that procurators fiscal and the Crown Office take prosecutions on such statutory matters very seriously, and that they have the resources to carry out what can often be complex and detailed investigations in the pursuit of individual cases against employers. I hope that the minister can assure us that the Crown Office is aware of the need to pursue such matters vigorously.
I wish to touch on two issues under the wider matter of health and safety regulations. My particular interest in the matter lies in the extension of health and safety regulations to the police. When that happened, the regulations were by default extended to include mountain rescue teams. As a member of a mountain rescue team, I can report that such teams have indeed had to comply with the health and safety regulations. The result is that they have had to allow for a higher turnover in their personal safety equipment and in general safety equipment for their teams. Mountain rescue teams' problem is that they are voluntary organisations that are having to raise more and more funds in order to comply with health and safety regulations. I hope that ministers will ensure that the funding that is to be provided to the police for mountain rescue purposes reflects the increasing demands that are being placed upon mountain rescue teams.
Cathy Peattie mentioned the particular Scottish dimension in health in safety. There is an issue around the accountability of the Health and Safety Executive and how it interprets regulations. Cathy Peattie and I have both been involved in the matter of the Health and Safety Executive's decision to extend the consultation zone around the Grangemouth oil refinery from roughly 1 mile to 3 miles. The zone now takes in a wide range around the refinery. No one says that we should compromise on the safety of residents living within that zone, but it is interesting to note that other countries have chosen to interpret matters differently as regards their oil refineries.
Falkirk Council has highlighted the danger that the Health and Safety Executive might, in relation to the Grangemouth area, have chosen to interpret the new regulations in a way that could stifle economic development, leading to population decline and possibly causing a whole range of problems in the community. It is important that the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Executive recognise, despite the fact that health and safety is a reserved matter, that the concerns that have been expressed in the Scottish Parliament must be taken into account and acted upon.
Also in relation to the consultation zone around Grangemouth refinery, I hope that the idea—which has attracted cross-party support—of a review of the way in which call-in procedures operate will be pursued. The likelihood is that if a 3-mile consultation zone goes ahead—indeed, it is already operating—it will cause serious problems for any development in the Grangemouth area. I believe that that would stifle development, which would be to the detriment of the area in general.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S2M-442, in the name of Karen Gillon, on the European week for safety and health. Th...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes that the European Week for Safety and Health will take place between 13 and 19 October 2003; welcomes the week's acknowledgement of...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab):
Lab
I am pleased to bring to the chamber this debate on the European week for safety and health at work. It is a matter that affects us all as workers and, given...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
Eight members have indicated that they wish to speak in the debate. It should be possible for everyone to speak.
Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Karen Gillon on securing this evening's important debate. I will begin by declaring an interest. I am the president of the Tayside industrial ...
Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab):
Lab
I thank Karen Gillon for bringing this important debate to Parliament. I also welcome the European week for safety and health and I take this opportunity to ...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I must say to Cathy Peattie that I do not see that health and safety is specifically a reserved matter—it is a matter of great concern to all members. Indeed...
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
Will Phil Gallie give way?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
No—he is in his last minute.
Phil Gallie:
Con
I am sorry. I would have liked to take that intervention. I will mention members' responsibilities. I am on the health and safety committee that the Parliame...
Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I begin by congratulating Karen Gillon on securing time for the debate. Despite her concerns about its being in the Thursday afternoon slot, I am sure that t...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
It is excellent that Karen Gillon has secured the debate and has linked it with the European Union. One of the benefits of the EU is that it provides us with...
Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
I, too, thank Karen Gillon for bringing the debate to the Parliament. The issue of health and safety at work is vast, but the aim of the European week for sa...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, congratulate Karen Gillon on securing today's debate. Health and safety does not normally reach out and grab people as a subject that they want to di...
Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP):
SNP
I am grateful to Karen Gillon for bringing the motion before us today.The theme of the European week for safety and health at work is really the prevention o...
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Lewis Macdonald):
Lab
I, too, congratulate Karen Gillon on lodging the motion and providing an opportunity to debate safety and health in the workplace. The Scottish Executive con...
Brian Adam:
SNP
Proposals for two members' bills that affect health and safety at work are before the Parliament. Will the minister indicate how the Executive perceives the ...
Lewis Macdonald:
Lab
Both proposals are too important to be tagged on to a debate on a wider issue. I do not intend to provide a definitive Executive view on them this evening. H...
Meeting closed at 18:01.