EXECUTIVE
AGENCIES AND
NDPBS
Q17. Which of DTI's NDPBs have direct environmental
impacts such as emissions or significant use of non-renewable
resources?
A. NDPBs operate at arm's length from the Department
with the Chief Executive responsible for the day-to-day running
of the body. The Department is responsible for the science Research
Councils and for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA),
all of which have direct environmental impacts. The UKAEA, like
other parts of the nuclear industry is heavily regulated. Safety
at UKAEA'S licensed nuclear sites is regulated by the Health and
Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate under the
Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Under the Radioactive Substances
Act 1993 UKAEA are required to report details of emissions. The
Environment Agency, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
and MAFF are also required to produce reports on emissions which
include data from UKAEA sites in England and Scotland. All of
the Research Councils have some environmental impact, ranging
from the common impacts of all organisations, such as the use
of resources for heating and lighting, to impacts directly related
to research, such as the use of chemicals, genetic modifications
of organisms, geological surveys, and use and limited generation
of radiation and radioactive materials. It is also the case that,
via their research into such issues as sustainability, the Councils
have a direct positive impact. In terms of reporting on direct
environmental impacts the Research Councils, like all NDPBs, are
free to include this in their Annual publications.
Another of the Department's NDPBs, the Coal
Authority, has environment-related liabilities and responsibilities
as a result of past coal mining. The Coal Authority is undertaking
a range of activities to deal with this. In particular, it deals
with subsidence damage and a range of surface hazards, such as
mine-gas, caused by former coal mining; and is undertaking a programme,
agreed with the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment
Protection Agency, to deal with polluting minewater discharges
from former coal mines operated and closed by British Coal.
Q18. Has the Department required its Agencies
and NDPBs to identify their environmental impacts and set policies
to address them?
A. Although the Department does not require
its Executive Agencies and NDPBs to identify their environmental
impacts and set policies to address them, it encourages them to
do so by making them aware of environmental best practice and
guidance. Advice is given to them as appropriate Executive Agencies
and NDPBs operate at arms length from the Department with the
Chief Executive responsible for day to day running of the body.
They follow Departmental policy tailored to their individual circumstances.
All out Executive Agencies manage fuel, utilities and consumables
to minimise their impact on the environment. Like Executive Agencies,
our NDPBs are diverse bodies. Whereas some of the larger executive
bodies already have well-developed green policies others will
be limited to including environmental considerations in their
office management. In terms of reporting on environmental impacts
and performance, EAs and NDPBs are free to include this in their
Annual publications.
Q19. What arrangements DTI established to
ensure that the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
manage their nuclear facilities to minimise the risks and the
costs of their decommissioning which will fall to the Department?
A. The Research Councils, including the Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research Council, receive grant-in-aid through
the Office of Science and Technology in the DTI, and are independent
bodies established by Royal Charter. As an NDPB, the EPSRC operates
at arm's length from the Department with the Chief Executive responsible
for its operation. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council does not itself own or operate nuclear facilities.
May 1998
