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Radioactive Materials (Transport)
Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the civil police provide escorts for type B containers of civil radioactive materials transported by road at the request of the material's owners; and if he will make a statement. [19937]
Mr. Page: The civil police do not escort type B containers of radioactive materials transported by road. The UK Atomic Energy Authority constabulary escorts these containers when necessary.
Ms Walley: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the tasks of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority police include escorting type B containers of civil radioactive materials transported by road in the ownership of (a) the UKAEA and (b) other owners; and if he will make a statement. [19936]
Mr. Page:
The UK Atomic Energy Authority constabulary provides escorts for road transport of type B containers holding certain civil radioactive materials owned by or under the control of BNFL, UKAEA and
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URENCO. The security standards laid down for the physical protection of nuclear material and the need for the material to be escorted are dependent on the type, form and quantity of the material, not the type of container holding it. The standards followed are in accord with international guidelines.
Ms Walley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the annual cost of the UK Atomic Energy Authority police in the past five years; and what has been its establishment in each of the past five years. [19934]
Mr. Page:
The annual costs of the UK Atomic Energy Authority constabulary for the past five years are as follows:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 18.1 |
| 1992-93 | 18.8 |
| 1993-94 | 17.3 |
| 1994-95 | 17.5 |
| 1995-96 | 17.6 |
Detailed information on the establishment of the AEAC is published in the AEAC chief constable's annual report. Copies of the 1991-92 and 1992-93 annual reports are available in the Library of the House, and I am arranging for copies of the 1993-94, 1994-95, and 1995-96 annual reports to be placed there. The 1996-97 report will also be placed in the Library of the House when it is published later this year.
Computers (Century Date Change)
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his most recent communication with the private sector to draw attention to the problem of the millennium compliance of computer systems. [20122]
Mr. Ian Taylor: This month I am writing to 120,000 chief executives of British businesses to impress upon them the urgency and seriousness of the century date change problem. To help them focus on the main issues, I will set out a check list of seven vital questions which they should ask about the ability of their systems to handle the problem and I will explain how they can get further information.
Mr. Atkinson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his most recent discussions with his EU counterparts on the millennium compliance of computer systems. [20123]
Mr. Taylor:
At the Telecommunications Council on 6 March, I again raised the problem of the century date change for computer systems. I have also written to Commissioner Bangemann suggesting that the Commission should draw the attention of European industry to the problem and should consider voluntary means of avoiding disruption from the failure of companies to act quickly. I also suggested that the
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"Definition of Year 2000 Conformity Requirement" developed by the British Standards Institution should be considered by the International Standards Organisation.
Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimates he has made of the effect of a minimum wage of £4.26 per hour with 50 per cent. restoration of wage differentials on the number of jobs in the United Kingdom. [20318]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
In December 1995, my officials estimated that a minimum wage set at £4.26, as advocated by last year's Trades Union Congress, would lead to the loss of more than 1 million jobs with only half restoration of wage differentials.
Mr. Timms:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 6 March, Official Report, column 703, if he will provide figures for his Department's PFI projects in the same form as used by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, in his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington of 6 March, Official Report, columns 692-93. [20386]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
No. Figures for my Department's PFI projects cannot be provided in the same form as used by the Parliamentary Sectary, Lord Chancellor's Department as contracts for the projects referred to in my answer to hon. Member for Darlington, on 6 March 1997, Official Report, column 703, have not yet been signed, except for the Coal Authority's IT system for mining and surface damage reports, and our estimates of the level of private sector investment are therefore commercially sensitive.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade who has been awarded the contract for the management and licensing of the radio spectrum used for making programmes and similar activities. [20989]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
I announced on 13 June 1996, Official Report, column 269 my intention to appoint a single spectrum management organisation with responsibility for licensing all programme making spectrum.
JFMG Ltd., has been awarded the contract for managing the radio spectrum used for programme making. The award followed competitive tender which the Radiocommunications Agency conducted.
The new contract runs for three years from 1 April, with the option of a two-year extension. JFMG Ltd. is authorised under the Contracting Out (Functions relating to Wireless Telegraphy) Order 1996 to grant, on the Secretary of State's behalf, licences to programme makers. These include programme production companies, broadcaster, outside broadcast companies, film companies, theatres and conference centres, and participants in sporting events.
The new contract will give all programme makers access to the available spectrum on equal terms. It will also allow the more efficient and flexible use of the spectrum in a rapidly developing industry.
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The contract replaces arrangements that have operated since 1990. Under them, the spectrum available for programme making has been divided into two distinct pools. Each pool has been managed separately by ASP Frequency Management Ltd. and the Broadcasters' JFMG Ltd. Their contracts terminate on 31 March.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Telecommunications Council on 6 March. [20990]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
I represented the UK at the Telecommunications Council held in Brussels on 6 March.
The Council adopted a directive on licensing in telecommunications. Greece and Germany voted against. Additionally, a decision for EU action on the introduction of satellite personal communication services was adopted without discussion.
There was political agreement to adopting shortly of a common position on a directive concerning the application of open network provision to voice telephony in a competitive environment.
Additionally, the presidency gave a progress report on co-decision procedures under way with the European Parliament and the European Commission made presentations on: a forthcoming Commission communication on universal mobile telecommunications systems; a Commission action plan in the field of satellite communications and on implementation by member states of Community legislation in the telecommunications sector.
I again raised the problem of the century date change for computer systems, having written to Commissioner Bangemann suggesting that the Commission draw European industry's attention to the problem and consider non-legislative means of avoiding disruption within the single market by failure of companies to act quickly.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the use of scientific advice in policy making. [20991]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
Scientific advice plays an essential part in policy making. We are today publishing guidelines for good practice in this area, which I am placing in the Library of the House. The guidelines, drawn up by the chief scientific adviser, Sir Robert May, will help Government Departments to maintain the highest standards of integrity and openness in their use of scientific advice. Their publication reinforces our commitment to open government.
The guidelines set out key principles on the use and presentation of scientific advice in policy making. They emphasise the need to identify potentially sensitive issues as early as possible, to draw on a wide range of expert advice and to have a presumption to openness in explaining the interpretation of scientific advice. The guidelines have been drafted in consultation with Government Departments and with the main science academies and the Council for Science and Technology.
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