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BNFL
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with BNFL over proposals to build new reactors at sites on which BNFL currently operates nuclear power plants. [6251]
Mr. Wilson: None. No such proposals have been put forward. BNFL have stated clearly that they have no plans for new nuclear plant in the UK, reflecting their view that there is, at present, no economic case for such investment.
Sellafield
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evaluation has been made of the robustness of security arrangements in place to protect the Sellafield nuclear power plant from attack or other illegal intrusion; and what plans she has to increase security arrangements for plutonium stored at Sellafield. [6252]
Mr. Wilson: Security arrangements at Sellafield are kept constantly under review and are revised in the light of changing circumstances. The Director for Civil Nuclear Security, the Government's Regulator, is satisfied that existing procedures are adequate and effective.
Mixed Oxide Plutonium Fuel
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will provide a breakdown of the moneys to be paid to the Japanese authorities, as a result of the agreement reached in July 2000, in respect of the return of the improperly exported mixed oxide plutonium fuel; what change there has been to the costs since the agreement; and when the return shipment of the mixed oxide plutonium fuel will commence. [6253]
Mr. Wilson: No money is to be paid to Japanese authorities. BNFL's published annual report and accounts for 2000 state that BNFL has agreed with its relevant Japanese customer, the Kansai Electric Power Company, a compensation package including £40 million to be paid in compensation and return of the fuel to the UK at BNFL's expense. The accounts show that BNFL has made a financial provision of £113 million to cover the costs associated with dealing with the fuel. It is the intention of the companies involved to be as open about the plans and arrangements for transporting the fuel to the UK as normal security considerations allow and they plan to make available relevant information in advance of the transport. The July 2000 UK-Japan inter-governmental agreement specified that the intention is for BNFL to return the fuel within 2–3 years. This remains the case.
Fireworks
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the fireworks injuries statistics for the 2000 bonfire night period; and if she will make a statement. [6462]
Nigel Griffiths: The total number of persons recorded as attending hospital casualty departments in Great Britain during the 2000 bonfire night period was 972. This represents a decrease of 8 per cent. on the previous year's total of 1,056. However, there were two deaths in the 2000 bonfire period; these are the first firework related deaths since 1996.
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There are some encouraging trends within the statistics. Sparkler injuries fell from 134 in 1999 to 104 in 2000 a decrease of 22 per cent. Rocket injuries also fell to 135 from 211 a decrease of 36 per cent.
Injuries in the 16–20 age group fell from 119 in 1999 to 93 in 2000 a 22 per cent. decrease and injuries to under 13s also fell by 10 per cent. from 391 in 1999 to 350 in 2000.
However injuries to 13 to 15-year-olds rose by 8 per cent. from 142 in 1999 to 154 in 2000. We will further target this age group as part of the 2001 firework safety campaign.
I am arranging for draft copes of the injury figures together with the analytical and regional tables to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses as well as on the DTI website www.dti.gov.uk.
Departmental Efficiency
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) plans and (b) targets she has to increase the operational efficiency of her Department. [6341]
Ms Hewitt: The Department's plans and targets to improve its operational efficiency are set out in its Service Delivery Agreement which is available on its website.
Sub-post Offices
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices closed in the first quarter of the current financial year. [6345]
Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 17 July 2001, Official Report, column 106W.
Consumer Rights
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her plans for reforming consumers' rights. [6344]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend for Plymouth, Sutton (Linda Gilroy) on 12 July 2001, Official Report, column 623W.
Climate Change Levy
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the climate change levy on productivity in the manufacturing sector. [6343]
Mr. Wilson: The climate change levy has been designed to avoid damaging the competitiveness of UK manufacturing. The levy's impact on individual businesses will depend on the extent to which they take advantage of the various levy exemptions, the new scheme of enhanced capital allowances for energy efficiency, the energy efficiency advice and support from the new Carbon Trust, and whether their sites qualify for a discount from the levy. The Government are giving an
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80 per cent. discount to energy intensive industries exposed to international competition in return for delivery of challenging energy saving targets.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the economic penalties imposed on private sector firms in each of the last five years for failures to deliver in relation to key performance indicators in projects involving the private finance initiative; and if she will make a statement. [5727]
Ms Hewitt: In the past five years, no penalties have been imposed on private sector firms for failure to deliver in relation to key performance indicators in projects involving the private finance initiative.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many PFI transactions have been overseen by her Department in each of the last 10 years; what her estimate is of the cost savings made in each of these transactions in comparison with the public sector alternative; what are the outstanding payments to be made in relation to these transactions for each of the next 15 years; and if she will make a statement. [5726]
Ms Hewitt: The Department of Trade and Industry has overseen six PFI projects in the last 10 years as follows:
- The ELGAR IT Project;
The Radiocommunications Agency's Strategic IT Partnership;
The Rebuilding of the National Physical Laboratory at
Teddington;
The Coal Authority's Data Project;
OST/EPSRC High Speed Computing Project; and the
OST/NERC Antarctic Supply Vessel.
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- The Elgar IT Project: £20.5 million;
The Radiocommunications Agency's Strategic Partnership: Between £4.9 million and £8.00 million;
The Rebuilding of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington: £4.3 million;
- The Coal Authority's Data Project: Information not centrally available;
OST/EPSRC High Speed Computing Project: £13 million; and
OST/NERC Antarctic Supply Vessel: £4 million.
- "Accounting Officers should not rely solely on a straight comparison of a PSC bid to its PSC, which should never be regarded as a pass/fail test but instead as a quantitative way of informing judgment."
(Treasury Taskforce Technical Note No. 5: How to construct a public sector comparator).
Regional Development Agencies
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the directors of RDAs who have announced their resignations or intention to leave since their inception. [5938]
Alan Johnson: Since the Regional Development Agencies in England were set up in 1999 the following board members have resigned or announced their intention to resign:
| RDA | Board members |
|---|---|
| One NorthEast | None |
| North West Development Agency | Lord Terry Thomas of Macclesfield has announced his intention to retire from the board in March 2002 |
| Yorkshire Forward | Paul Shepherd resigned in 1999 and Sir Gareth Roberts resigned in 2002 |
| Advantage West Midlands | Edward Roberts CBE resigned in 2000 and Councillor Mike Bird resigned on 14 May 2001 |
| East Midlands Development Agency | None |
| East of England Development Agency | Sal Brinton resigned on 7 June 2001, Peter Dawe announced on 12 July 2001 his intention to resign |
| London Development Agency | None |
| SEEDA | None |
| South West of England RDA | Ewan Cameron resigned in 1999 |
The London Development Agency was established in 2000 and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London. Appointments to its board are made by him.
The devolved Administrations are responsible for development agencies outside England (e.g. Scottish Enterprise, Welsh Development Agency).
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action each regional development agency is taking to encourage the growth of credit unions in their region. [5991]
Alan Johnson: I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of the House.
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