Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the role of contractor companies in the offshore oil and gas industry in the (a) safety case assessments and (b) the voluntary reporting scheme for safety-critical maintenance work on offshore oil and gas installations.

Duty holders are responsible for preparing and submitting safety cases that are assessed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Duty holders are required to consult with those responsible for the conduct of the installation and with employers, including contractors, whose employees are engaged in the activities carried out on the installation. HSE assesses all elements of the case together rather than one element in isolation.

HSE does not collect or hold data on the role of contractor companies in the voluntary reporting scheme for safety-critical maintenance work on offshore oil and gas installations.