RIO TINTO AND HEALTH AND SAFETY

Summary

That this House is gravely concerned to learn that the London-based Rio Tinto, the largest mining company in the world, has made a series of false statements to the effect that during its operation of the Capper Pass Tin Smelter in Hull, it had fully complied with all environmental, health and safety regulations; notes that there is incontrovertible evidence that the Health and Safety Executive had served a statutory improvement notice identifying contravention of sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc, Act 1974 and section 63 of the Factories Act 1961 and that the Health and Safety Executive had also served upon the company a major report identifying the extremely limited competence of safety management, and major breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1989, the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980 and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985; further notes that there were repeated breaches of environmental regulations and statutory licences governing discharge of toxic substances into the River Humber; deplores the refusal of Rio Tinto to answer the specific allegations put to its Executive Chairman on 7th October 1999 concerning the promulgation of those false statements by senior executives of the company; and urges Her Majesty's Government to institute a full public inquiry and report back to this House.

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Timeline

1. 9 May 2000

   Early Day Motion

   That this House is gravely concerned to learn that the London-based Rio Tinto, the largest mining company in the world, has made a series of false statements to the effect that during its operation of the Capper Pass Tin Smelter in Hull, it had fully complied with all environmental, health and safety regulations; notes that there is incontrovertible evidence that the Health and Safety Executive had served a statutory improvement notice identifying contravention of sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc, Act 1974 and section 63 of the Factories Act 1961 and that the Health and Safety Executive had also served upon the company a major report identifying the extremely limited competence of safety management, and major breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1989, the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980 and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985; further notes that there were repeated breaches of environmental regulations and statutory licences governing discharge of toxic substances into the River Humber; deplores the refusal of Rio Tinto to answer the specific allegations put to its Executive Chairman on 7th October 1999 concerning the promulgation of those false statements by senior executives of the company; and urges Her Majesty's Government to institute a full public inquiry and report back to this House.

   Source: Early Day Motion

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Sponsors

• Mr Michael Clapham · Labour · Primary sponsor

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