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Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 6 March, Official Report, columns 730-31, 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. [20383]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: My answer of 6 March to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) provides the maximum possible information on capital investment in individual projects, without releasing commercially sensitive details, particularly for those projects still in procurement.
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide figures for local authority 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 (Mr. Milburn) of 6 March, Official Report, columns 692-93; and if he will list his latest estimates of annual totals for local authority PFI projects, on the same basis as those given in table 5.5 of the Red Book. [20397]
Mr. Jones: The Red Book gives estimates for total capital spend by contractors on PFI projects. Information in this form for individual projects is not held centrally. We have announced support for up to £250 million of PFI investment to the end of 1997-98. The public private partnerships programme has recently announced a series of PFI patherfinder projects which are expected to be signed in the forthcoming months.
Salisbury Bypass (Report)
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library (a) the draft report and (b) the final report by English Nature to the Highways Agency on the crossing of the River Avon south of Salisbury by the proposed Salisbury bypass. [20294]
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Mr. Clappison:
I have today placed in the Library of the House (a) a copy of English Nature's final working draft advice on the proposed Salisbury bypass and (b) a copy of its formal advice to the Highways Agency, as endorsed by English Nature's council.
Mr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make special provision for the Isles of Scilly under the homelessness legislation; and if he will make a statement. [20515]
Mr. Curry:
In view of the unique situation of the Isles of Scilly--its small scale and limited resources--the Secretary of State has made an order under section 225 of the Housing Act 1996 which relieves the Council of the Isles of Scilly of an obligation to rehouse persons applying for assistance under part VII of the Housing Act 1996 who have not resided in that authority's area for at least two-and-a-half years of the last three years.
Mr. Bill Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the major accidents notified to the Health and Safety Executive under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1984 since January 1993, indicating in respect of each such accident (a) the dangerous substances involved, (b) the number of casualties, (c) the emergency measures taken to protect lives and property, (d) the extent of consequential restrictions placed on the consumption of food or drinking water and (e) details of any damage to the environment. [20456]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The list of major accidents that have occurred at sites subject to the Control of Industrial Regulations Major Accident Hazards 1984 since January
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1983 and notified to HSE is as follows. The table lists where the off-site emergency plan was activated. HSE has no information on any restrictions placed on the consumption of food or drinking water as a result of these incidents.
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The taking of emergency measures to protect lives and property is the responsibility of the local authority emergency services and therefore HSE has only limited information on the emergency measures taken to protect lives and property.
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| Date | Company | Dangerous substance | Casualties | Emergency measures | Environment damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 (1) | 7 February 1997 | Van Ommeren West Thurrock, Essex | Ethanol | None | No need to activate the off-site emergency plan. | None |
| (2) | 24 January 1997 | British Gas Romford | Liquified natural gas | None | No need to activate the off-site emergency plan. | None |
| 1996 (3) | 3 October 1996 | Albright and Wilson Ltd. Birmingham | Epichlorohydrin, Sodium chlorate and mixed chemicals. | Injuries to 6 firemen and other employees, some members of the public reported eye/respiratory irritation. | Off-site emergency plan activated (no information of food/drinking water restriction). | None |
| (4) | 17 July 1996 | Synthetic Chemicals (Northern) Ltd. Knottingley, West Yorkshire | Sulphur Trioxide | Injury to plant manager. | Off-site plan activated (no information of food/drinking water restriction). | None |
| (5) | 4 February 1996 | British Gas Bromley | Natural gas | None | Off-site plan not activated. | None |
| 1995 (6) | 22 October 1993 | British Gas Runcorn | Natural gas | None | Off-site plan activated (no information re: food/water restriction). | None |
| (7) | 20 July 1995 | Continental Can Co. Ltd. Rugby | Liquified petroleum gas | 1 (minor) casualty. | Off-site plan not activated. | None |
| (8) | 17 January 1995 | GATX Terminals Ltd. Bristol | Petroleum spirit | None | Off-site plan not activated. | None |
| 1994 (9) | 3 September 1994 | Coalite Chemicals Ltd. Bolsover | Chlorine | On-site casualties (5). | Off-site plan not activated. | None |
| (10) | 4 August 1994 | GATX Terminals Ltd. Bristol | Petroleum spirit | 1 Fatality | Off-site plan not activated. | None |
| (11) | 24 July 1994 | Pembroke Cracking Co. Ltd. Pembroke | Flammable gases-liquids | On-site casualties. | Off-site plan not activated.None | |
| (12) | 6 July 1994 | ICI C&P Ltd.Runcorn | Vinyl chloride | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
| (13) | 22 May 1994 | Esso Petroleum Ltd. Southampton | Refinery treated gas (hydrogen and hydrocarbons) | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
| (14) | 11 April 1994 | Powell Duffryn Terminals Ltd. | Ethanol | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
| (15) | 9 February 1994 | Phillips Petroleum Ltd.Bacton | Natural gas | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
| (16) | 1 February 1994 | Associated Octel Ltd.Ellesmere Port | Ethyl chloride | None | Off-site plan activated (no information re: food/water restrictions) | None |
| 1993 (17) | 1 November 1993 | British Gas Beckton | Natural gas | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
| (18) | 5 October 1993 | British Gas Partington | Liqueified Natural Gas | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
| (19) | 5 July 1993 | Simon Storage Immingham | LPG | None | Off-site plan not activated | None |
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Albino Frogs
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect on other life forms and the environment of the reported increase in the number of albino frogs. [20546]
Mr. Clappison: English Nature, the Government's scientific advisers on nature conservation issues, advises that albinism is highly unlikely to have any impact whatsoever on other life forms or the environment. The only effect that it may have is that for a short while predators on frogs may have an easier time in locating their prey. I am satisfied that, at this time, this issue is not of any conservation significance.
Building Research Establishment
Mr. Raynsford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what indications have been given to the
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in-house bid team seeking to acquire the Building Research Establishment about the level of Government support for the Building Research Establishment in the immediate future and the type of work which would be covered by Government contracts. [20636]
Mr. Robert B. Jones:
The Information memorandum sent to all pre-qualified bidders contained information about the work the Department intended to commission from BRE post privatisation, comprising both on-going contracts and new work to be let on a single tender basis to BRE. Detailed information about this work was placed in the data room for the benefit of shortlisted bidders, and updated as appropriate. In addition, both shortlisted bidders were given the opportunity to talk to DOE customers about future opportunities.
It will be for other Government Departments to decide for themselves what work they might wish to commission from BRE in the future.
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Mr. Raynsford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the Government plan to accept any liability for redundancy costs arising from the proposed privatisation of the Building Research Establishment; [20637]
Mr. Jones:
It was made clear to all bidders that decisions on, and funding of, any redundancies post privatisation was a matter for the future owners of BRE. However, the calculation of expected restructuring costs--including redundancies--has been an important aspect of valuing BRE and, for prospective purchasers, for deciding how much to bid. Therefore in order to maintain a level playing field, all pre-qualified bidders were provided with assumptions regarding redundancy costs for different categories of staff, which they were requested to use in preparing their indicative bids.
The two shortlisted bidders were given access to the data room which contained:
At both stages, subsequent discussions were held with those bidders who requested them--including both short-listed bidders at stage 2--in order to clarify where necessary the figures and the basis on which bids were to be submitted.
Mr. Raynsford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are currently employed at the Building Research Establishment; and how many redundancies are forecast in the in-house bid team's proposals. [20638]
Mr. Jones:
At close of play on 14 March 1997 there were 660 people employed at BRE, 633.2 full-time equivalent staff.
Information given to the staff and trade unions by the management bid team indicates that they expect there to be in the order of 115 job losses following transfer to the private sector.
Mr. Garel-Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be in a position to make a statement about the Building Research Establishment.[20826]
Mr. Jones:
On 15 March my Deaprtment entered into a contract to sell the Building Research Establishment to the preferred purchaser, the management bid team. The consideration is £1.7 million, plus an adjustment based on the balance sheet at completion. The sale agreements include provision for the Department to benefit from any windfall gain the purchaser may receive in respect of property, intellectual property, or reduced business rates. We hope to complete this transaction shortly.
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(2) what discussions have been held between his Department and the two bidders for the Building Research Department about provision for redundancy among existing Building Research Establishment employees and the liability for redundancy payments. [20639]
a note by the Government Actuary's Department on redundancy entitlement in the Civil Service;
the civil service compensation scheme report and explanatory booklet "PCSPS Early Retirement and Redundancy";
information from the Government Actuary's Department relating to estimated redundancy costs by category of staff.
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