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Radioactive Waste
Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations will be undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in respect of the proposed incineration of Ministry of Defence radioactive waste at Grundons, Colnbrook. [78999]
Mr. Macdonald: In addition to consulting my right hon. Friend, and the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) also consulted the bodies shown in the list.
In addition, SEPA placed notices in the Helensburgh Advertiser and the Edinburgh Gazette.
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has commissioned on the health effects of the incineration of Ministry of Defence radioactive waste on people living in the vicinity. [79001]
Mr. Macdonald:
My right hon. Friend has commissioned no specific research. However, when authorising the Colnbrook facility to receive radioactive waste, the Environment Agency sought and received assurance from the site operator that the radiological implications were satisfactory.
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Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultation will be undertaken with local authorities through whose areas Ministry of Defence radioactive waste is to be transported for eventual incineration at Grundons, Colnbrook. [79004]
Mr. Macdonald:
Current regulations on the transport of radioactive material in Great Britain place no requirement on either the consignor or the transporter to consult with local authorities through whose area a shipment is taking place.
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations have been received by (a) him and (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the proposal to incinerate Ministry of Defence radioactive waste at Grundons, Colnbrook. [79002]
Mr. Macdonald:
My right hon. Friend received two sets of representations and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency received seven sets from consultees and others.
The representations covered the health hazards of disposal, lack of consultation, suitability of material for incineration, proximity of incinerator to other premises, transport issues, nature of the decision-making procedures, availability of incineration facilities in Scotland, the position post-devolution, and the link between radioactive waste and the nuclear weapons programme.
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has commissioned into the health effects on the population of those areas through which Ministry of Defence radioactive waste is to be transported for eventual incineration at Grundons, Colnbrook. [79005]
Mr. Macdonald:
My right hon. Friend has commissioned no specific research into this area. A report by the National Radiological Protection Board, entitled "The Radiation Exposure from the Normal Transport of Radioactive Materials within the United Kingdom" (NRPB-R255), covered road and rail shipments in general. It found the radiological exposure arising from transport to be very slight in comparison with that from natural background radiation. A copy of that report is in the House Library.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimate he has made for each area of the average time between receipt of police reports at the office of the Procurator Fiscal and the commencement of proceedings, in each of the last five years; [78803]
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Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 29 March 1999]: A single average for all cases is not readily available. Nor are we able to provide without disproportionate cost an average time for solemn cases.
I have prepared tables containing average time between receipt of reports of crime and service of complaints in relation to summary cases in Sheriff and District Courts by Procurators Fiscal in each of the last 5 years (up to February 1999). As the information is rather lengthy, I am placing copies in the House Library.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of police reports made to procurators fiscal in each year since 1994; and how many of those were marked "no proceedings". [78804]
Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 29 March 1999]: I have prepared tables containing the total number of reports of crime made to Procurators Fiscal in each year since 1994 (to February 1999), and those marked "no proceedings". As the information is rather lengthy, I am placing copies in the House Library.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Sir Robert Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what purposes his Department and its executive agencies require a birth certificate to be furnished by (i) employees, (ii) contractors, (iii) those applying for employment or contracts and (iv) other persons. [79557]
Mr. Dewar:
My Department and its agencies require to see birth certificates of prospective employees only, to ensure that they meet the Nationality requirements for appointment to the Home Civil Service and for salary and pension purposes. There are no requirements to see birth certificates for contractors.
For other persons, my Department does not require to see birth certificates. However, certain agencies require a birth certificate where the functions for which they are responsible make that necessary. The Scottish Office Pensions Agency requires to see birth certificates of members of the pension schemes it operates. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland needs sight of birth certificates for students who claim dependants allowances.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a detailed breakdown of expenditure by each health board in Scotland for the year until 31 July 1998. [79357]
Mr. Galbraith
[holding answer 30 March 1999]: The table gives details of the health boards expenditure for the latest financial year available which is 1997-98.
Bodies consulted
Argyll and Bute Council
Copeland Borough Council
Cumbria County Council
Slough Borough Council
Argyll and Clyde Health Board
Ayrshire and Arran Health Board
West of Scotland Water Authority
Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee
The National Radiological Protection Board
Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation
The Environment Agency.
(2) in each of the last five years, for those police reports made to procurators fiscal for which there were proceedings, what was the average time, area by area, between receipt of the report and commencement of proceedings for (a) district court summary cases, (b) sheriff court summary cases, (c) solemn cases at sheriff court and (d) High Court cases. [78805]
Note:
HCH--Hospital & Community Health
FSH--Family Health Services
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From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of people awaiting an outpatient appointment at each Scottish hospital on (i) 31 January 1997, (ii) 31 January 1998 and (iii) 31 January 1999; and in each case, how many outpatients had been waiting for (a) three to six months and (b) more than six months. [78734]
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Mr. Galbraith
[holding answer 30 March 1999]: Information on waiting lists is collected only for hospital inpatients and day cases. Data are available quarterly on first outpatient referrals and the length of time that patients waited for their first outpatient appointment. The number of patients who received a first outpatient appointment within three to six months, and more than six months following a General Medical Practitioner/General Dental Practitioner referral, by NHS Trust, for the quarters ending 31 December 1996, 1997 and 1998, is provided in the table.
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(48) Provisional
Source:
ISD, Scotland
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From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
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