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12 Jun 2006 : Column 878W—continued
Malcolm Wicks:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) license all nuclear power stations under the
Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Flood risks, which are enhanced by coastal erosion, are one category of external hazards that HSE require to be addressed in safety cases for nuclear plants.
Safety cases are prepared by the plant operator, They are routinely reviewed through the Periodic Safety Review (PSR) process, which allows for recent and future extrapolations to be reviewed. They are scrutinised and then reviewed periodically (at intervals not greater than 10 years) by HSE. This provides an opportunity to ensure that operators are updating their predictions. The cost of HSE reviewing safety cases is recovered from the industry.
The Office of Science and Technology (OST) has conducted a major study for the Foresight programme on the future of coastal erosion;
http://www.foresight.gov.uk/Previous_Projects/Flood_and_ Coastal_Defence/index.html
The study looked ahead into the next 30-100 years and considered the future risks from flooding and costal erosion. Future predicted erosion rates were found to be location specific, and are likely to be extremely variable.
The following coastal defence work is taking place, or is proposed, in the proximity of nuclear power plants:
At Berkley, Gloucestershire, a proposed sea wall repair will provide protection for 25 years. At Dungeness, Kent, a beach-feeding programme is routinely undertaken to protect the foreshore and is likely to be maintained until at least 2018 (when Dungeness B is expected to end). Long-term management options for the area adjacent to the power station are under consideration.
At Hartlepool, a proposal to extend a marine cycling facility navigation channel may require that the coastal defences of the power station be reinforced. Discussions with the developer are under way.
At Sizewell B, Suffolk, the frontage of the adjacent Minsmere Bird Reserve is not secure and long tern management options are being considered.
The UK Atomic Energy Authority and British Energy have confirmed that there are no foreseeable risks to their nuclear power station or nuclear storage sites from sea-level rises, coastal erosion, seawater inundation and storm surges.
As regards potential nuclear sites, the role of civil nuclear power including safety, cost, decommissioning and waste, is being considered as part of the Energy Review alongside other options to ensure the UK remains on track to meet its medium and long-term energy policy goals. The Energy Review will report in the summer.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incidents at nuclear power installations in the United Kingdom have been reported to Ministers by the Health and Safety Executive since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [75624]
Malcolm Wicks: There have been 57 incidents at nuclear power stations since 1997, which met the ministerial reporting criteria. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publish details of these incidents in their quarterly statements.
Quarterly statements of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations from 1 October 2000 are available on the HSE website at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/quarterly-stat/index.htm
Hard copies of quarterly statements from 1 January 1997 and September 2000 have been placed in the Library of the House.
Parliamentary Ombudsman
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those occasions when the recommendations of a report from the parliamentary ombudsman have been (a) rejected and (b) partly rejected by his Department since 1997. [76264]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There have been no occasions since 1997 when the recommendations of a report from the parliamentary ombudsman were rejected or partly rejected by the Department.
Pensions
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the pension liability of his Department over the next 30 years. [75234]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to a technical note by HM Treasury which was placed in the Library of the House on 2 March 2006, Official Report, columns 388-90W, following an oral statement by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Pension liabilities are not estimated for individual departments, they are estimated for individual pension schemes, as shown in the breakdown of liabilities per pension scheme given in Table 1 of the technical note.
Post Offices
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices there are in Scotland; and how many there were in each of the last eight years. [76916]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Post Office Ltd have provided the following figures relating to the numbers of post offices branches in Scotland since 1998:
| Period: end March | Number of post office branches |
Information relating to post office branches for each parliamentary constituency is placed in the Library of the House on an annual basis.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive on the use of lead-free solder within the model railway hobby industry; and if he will make a statement. [75338]
Malcolm Wicks: The RoHS Directive has no effect on the use of lead-free solder within the model railway hobby industry.
Royal Commission on the Press
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list recommendations from the Royal Commission on the Press which were (a) accepted, (b) implemented in legislation and (c) rejected; and if he will make a statement. [71981]
Margaret Hodge: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Sickness Absence
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in his Department have had (a) five or more, (b) four, (c) three and (d) two periods of sick leave of less than five days in each of the last three years. [73024]
Mr. Darling: The DTI’s records are as follows:
| Number of staff (DTI HQ, including SBS and UKTI) | |||
| Spells of absence of less than five days | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
Small Business Research Initiative
Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the written statement of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 121WS, on the Small Business Research Initiative, what definition of research is used for the purposes of the initiative; how many of the contracts relate to science-based research; and if he will list the contracts awarded and their values. [75335]
Margaret Hodge:
My right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Alun Michael) set out the definition of Research and Development (R and D) in guidelines placed in the Library of the House on 16 February 2006. The guidelines on the Meaning of
R and D for Tax Purposes (issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 5 March 2004 for the purposes of section 837A Income and Corporation Taxes 1988) apply. In addition, however, policy studies and R and D directed towards the humanities and social studies will also be included.
As my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth said in response to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1341W, the Government are taking steps to improve disclosure of Small Business Research Initiative performance by Departments. However, this will be at an aggregate level and on an annual basis. Information about individual contracts is a matter for the individual Departments concerned.
Uranium
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the security of future uranium supplies. [75897]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas) on 10 May 2006, Official Report, column 268W.
Vehicle Sharing
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives his Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work. [73027]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's buildings are predominately in city centre locations. It therefore does not offer any specific incentives to share vehicles when travelling to and from work but instead actively encourages the use of public transport. Such incentives include interest-free loans for the purchase of season tickets and a scheme to encourage the use of bicycles to travel to work.
Prime Minister
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) letters and (b) postcards he has received from (i) members of the public, (ii) hon. Members and (iii) Members of the House of Lords about abortion; how many and what percentage (A) support and (B) oppose abortion; and if he will make a statement. [75636]
The Prime Minister: Since 1 January 2006 my office has received appropriately 6,000 representations about this issue. Given the volume of correspondence I receive, with thousands of letters each week covering a broad spectrum of issues, my office records letters by subject rather than by the view expressed.
Chequers (Official Appointments)
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister with which individuals, other than officials, hon. Members and staff, he had a scheduled official appointment at Chequers, other than at official dinners, between 1 July 2003 and 31 December 2003. [76311]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister what incentives are available to encourage members of his staff to use public transport for travelling to and from work. [75092]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes, my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.
Intelligence and Security Committee
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister whether positive vetting is conducted (a) prior to him inviting hon. Members and Peers to serve on the Intelligence and Security Committee and (b) after he has extended an invitation to hon. Members and Peers. [76371]
The Prime Minister: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on security matters.
Official Residences
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will list the official residences occupied by Members of the Government; whether each is open to the public; and what restrictions apply to public access in each case; [73880]
(2) if he will make it his policy to increase opportunities for members of the public to view the interior of Dorneywood; and if he will make a statement; [73909]
(3) if he will make arrangements for the public to view (a) Chequers, (b) Chevening and (c) Dorneywood at times and on dates that do not inconvenience the Ministers who have use of the properties; and if he will make a statement. [77039]
The Prime Minister:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 13 July 2005, Official Report, column
1074W and the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2394W.
Since then, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Margaret Beckett) has moved jobs, but remains in her official residences. My right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Geoff Hoon) has also moved jobs and, as has already been announced, will be vacating his Government-owned residence shortly.
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has announced his personal decision that he no longer wishes to have the use of Dorneywood.
There is no public access to Chequers for security reasons. There is no right of public access to the houses at Chevening and Dorneywood. The garden at Chevening is on occasion opened to the public for charitable events (this is a matter for the Trustees). The garden at Dorneywood is opened to the public under the National Gardens Scheme at various times during the year.
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