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22 Nov 2005 : Column 1890W—continued
CABINET OFFICE
Government Car and Despatch Agency
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many cars in the fleet purchased each year since 1997 by the Government Car and Despatch Agency have been converted to alternative environmentally friendly fuels; [30918]
(2) what plans are in place to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Government Car and Despatch Agency; [30919]
(3) pursuant to page 24 of the Government Car and Despatch Agency Annual Report 2004–05, which Government Departments which are now using the Green Car Service; [30920]
(4) if he will list all those other than Ministers who are entitled to a car and driver supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency. [30922]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its chief executive Mr. Roy Burke to write to the right hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Nuclear Inspectorate
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) complaints, (b) court actions and (c) fines there have been in each year since 1995 against the nuclear industry for problems related to (i) odours, (ii) water pollution, (iii) air pollution and (iv) human health impact, (A) in total, (B) in each region and (C) per site. [27794]
Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.
It is not possible to provide a reply that fully answers the hon. Member's question without entailing disproportionate cost.
However, details of cases and fines against the nuclear industry have recently been made available in the House of Commons Library following the hon. Member's recent question to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
As the Environment Agency's National Enforcement Database was commissioned in 1999, data are only available from that date. The Database identifies pollution cases by their effects on air, water and land and does not include complaints".
22 Nov 2005 : Column 1891W
Radioactive Material
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many accidents there have been in each year since 1975 involving the transportation of radioactive material (a) by air, (b) by road, (c) by rail and (d) by ship. [27665]
Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
Details of all events involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK since 1989 have been published in a series of annual reports. The latest report in this series is Radiological Consequences Resulting from Accidents and Incidents Involving the Transport of Radioactive Materials in the UK—2004 Review (HPA-RPD-007)". This report is on the internet at the following address:
Details of all the previous reports in the series are contained in the reference section of the latest report. A report detailing events occurring during 2005 will be published in late 2006.
Two reports analysing trends in events have also been published, these are: Review of the Radiological Consequences Resulting from Accidents and Incidents Involving the Transport of Radioactive Materials in the UK from 1964 to 1988 (NRPB-M206)" and Review of the Radiological Consequences Resulting from Accidents and Incidents Involving the Transport of Radioactive Materials in the UK from 1958 to 1994 (NRPB-R282)".
The reports contain information concerning all abnormal events involving the transport of radioactive material which have been reported to or have otherwise come to the attention of the Department for Transport. The total number of events for each year and mode of transport are:
(12) These are events that occurred in airport warehouses and usually involved packages falling from fork-lift trucks. These have been included separately because to classify them as either air or road events would be misleading.
The events in this table include all abnormal events, howsoever minor, and covers all movements of radioactive material, however small and for whatever reason, usually in connection with medical diagnosis/treatment, research or industrial radiography. The list includes events clearly identifiable as accidents (e.g. dropped packages or road traffic accidents), however, the majority are events such as stolen packages, incorrectly prepared packages or packages transported without the correct labelling/paperwork. Most of these events were minor with no radiological consequences and in some cases were false alarms. Very rarely was radioactive material released to the environment or did people receive significant radiation doses.
Examination of the reports referred to earlier in this answer will give a fuller understanding of the frequency, severity and consequences of accidents involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK. Copies of all these reports are available in the House of Commons Library.
WALES
Business Rates
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was raised in business rates from (a) Wales and (b) Pembrokeshire in each year since 1990. [29498]
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Nick Ainger: The information is in the following table. Details of contributions to the pool between 1990–91 and 1995–96 are taken from the publication Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics". Details from 1996–97 are taken from the StatsWales website table 00466.
Pembrokeshire county council became a billing authority in 1996.
n/a = Not available.
1 Contribution to non-domestic rating pool.
(13) Unaudited.
(14) Provisional.
Council Tax Revaluation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether (a) computer-assisted mass appraisal and (b) the automated valuation model was used in the council tax revaluation in Wales. [29726]
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1167W, on Council Tax (Wales), what criteria the Valuation Office Agency used in deciding whether to make use of private sector firms during the council tax revaluation in Wales. [29734]
Nick Ainger: The Valuation Office Agency's listing officers in Wales have a statutory duty, under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by the Local Government Act 2003), to compile and maintain valuation lists for council tax purposes. The Valuation Office Agency did not make use of private sector firms during the council tax revaluation in Wales, as it was fully resourced to carry out this task.
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