NI Annual Report
i. Loss to the exchequer (£54 million)
ii. Loss of 4,000 jobs and their associated
investments.
iii No improved environmental position
iv. Nominal reduction in extraction.
v. Major reduction in funding available
for public expenditure. Will the Toome By Pass by or Went Link
Upgrade ever be built.
vi. Local communities in TSN areas further
disadvantaged.
3. Q43
The actual date of this meeting was 29 September
1999.
This meeting was arranged by Mr Sebastian Hordern
of the Confederation of British Industry and was attended by one
of their officials, Mr Steve Fidgett, Executive Secretary—Minerals
Committee, as well as QPA NI representatives.
I have attached correspondence between the Treasury
and ourselves regarding the meeting[1]
Also included is correspondence between QPA
NI and the CBI on the matter.
4. Q48
The level of CO2 emissions associated
with Aggregates extraction and transportation is based on English
average haulage distances travelled from the originating site
to the customer. This equates to 11 kg CO2/tonne of
stone extracted and delivered and is based on a haulage distance
of 32 miles.
Given that the average haulage distance for
aggregates within Northern Ireland is approximately 12 miles this
CO2 emission reduces to 4 kg/tonne of aggregate extracted
and delivered. Therefore it is clear that the environmental impact
of quarrying in Northern Ireland is further reduced in comparison
to that on mainland UK.
However, if the tax is introduced in its present
form in Northern Ireland the amount of CO2 emitted
will rise dramatically as a result of increased imports of processed
products from the Republic into Northern Ireland. In addition
to this the number of companies close to the border who will move
their processed product manufacture over the border, will extract
their stone in the Northern, export it to their new processing
plant just over the border TAX FREE, then import their processed
product, either concrete or blacktop, back into Northern Ireland
TAX FREE. At no time during this process will tax be paid yet
a situation will have been created where lorry movements have
increased and therefore the level of CO2 emitted into
the atmosphere has increased also.
Government will unintentionally create a situation
where people with breathing difficulties in these border areas
will be put at greater risk.
The increased haulage movements will undoubtedly
have a health and safety impact for road users in these areas.
12 November 2001
1 Not printed. Back
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