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25 July 2007 : Column 1071W—continued


Transport: Radioactive Materials

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there were involving the transportation of radioactive material by (a) air, (b) road, (c) rail and (d) ship in each year since 1977. [151931]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1989, annual reports detailing all abnormal events involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK have been prepared by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), working under contract to the Department for Transport. In addition, periodic reports have been produced examining trends in events since the late 1950s. The latest reports in these series are:


25 July 2007 : Column 1072W

A full list of earlier reports can be found in the reference section of each report. The report detailing events that occurred during 2006 will be published later this year.

Copies of these reports have been placed in the House Library and recent ones are available on the HPA website. A list of recent reports is also available on the Department's website at the following address.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Manpower

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the last three years; and what percentage of these were employed on (a) a supply, (b) a temporary and (c) an agency basis. [152436]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) publishes the average number of staff employed (full time equivalent) in its annual report and accounts which is available on line at www.vosa.gov.uk and from the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section.

(a) VOSA does not employ any staff on a supply basis.

(b) The average number of VOSA staff employed on a casual/fixed term contact, i.e. temporary basis, is shown in the following table:

Average number of Staff Percentage average total staff

2004-05

86

3.2

2005-06

76

2.9

2006-07

88

3.5


(c) VOSA's annual report and accounts gives the average number of agency and consultancy staff. It is not possible to separately determine agency support.

Vehicle Data Recording Devices

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the merits of requiring the installation of event data recorders in all new vehicles. [152612]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has not conducted a detailed assessment of this technology; however, there is significant international interest in this subject and research for the European Commission recently reported on the competing technologies, their compatibility with all classes of vehicle and their usefulness in accident reconstruction. The programme also reviewed the legal implications for their use. The European Commission has extended their research to consider the drafting of technical, legal and administrative standards for use as mandatory or as recommended requirements for electronic data recorder implementation in Europe.

We have held discussions with the European Commission and intend to contribute to the development of the standards for this technology.


25 July 2007 : Column 1073W

Public Accounts Commission

National Audit Office

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission if the Commission will publish (a) all papers originally supplied to it on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s travel expenses and related Inland Revenue payments made by the National Audit Office and (b) any subsequent revisions or amendments to those papers. [151172]

Mr. Alan Williams: All papers supplied to the Commission on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s travel expenses and related Inland Revenue payments made by the National Audit Office have been published on the Commission’s website

Defence

Armed Forces: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular military personnel, (b) Territorial Army and other part-time military personnel and (c) civilian personnel were employed by his Department in (i) total, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) North Yorkshire and (iv) City of York in each year since 1979. [152184]

Derek Twigg: The following table shows total UK Regular Forces and Civilian Personnel Strength at 1 April, in each year since 1979.


25 July 2007 : Column 1074W
As at 1 April: UK regular forces Civilian personnel

1979

315,000

(1)

1980

320,600

(1)

1981

333,800

(1)

1982

327,600

(1)

1983

320,600

(1)

1984

325,900

(1)

1985

326,200

(1)

1986

322,500

(1)

1987

319,900

(1)

1988

316,900

(1)

1989

311,700

(1)

1990

305,800

(1)

1991

299,500

(1)

1992

293,500

(1)

1993

274,800

159,600

1994

254,500

149,100

1995

233,300

141,300

1996

221,900

135,400

1997

210,800

133,300

1998

210,100

126,300

1999

208,600

123,000

2000

207,600

121,300

2001

205,600

118,200

2002

204,700

110,100

2003

206,900

107,600

2004

207,000

109,000

2005

201,100

108,500

2006

195,900

103,900

2007

(2) 190,400

98,000

(1) denotes not available. Civilian data prior to 1993 are not available in centrally held databases. As a result it is not possible to produce a consistent time series since 1979 without incurring disproportionate cost.
(2) denotes provisional. Due to the introduction of a new Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, armed forces data at 1 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100.
Notes:
1. UK regular forces includes Nursing services and excludes Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. It includes trained and untrained personnel.
2. Civilian strengths are based on the revised definition of MOD civilian personnel introduced in April 2004. MOD civilian total includes locally engaged civilians, Royal fleet auxiliary personnel and overseas personnel outside UK.

The strength of UK Reserve Forces (including Volunteer and Regular Reserves) from 1990 to 2006 is available in table 2.14 of United Kingdom Defence Statistics (UKDS) 2006 and is available at:

Data on the Reserve Forces are not available in centrally held databases. As a result it is not possible to produce a consistent time series since 1979 without incurring disproportionate cost.

The strength of UK Regular Forces posted in the Yorkshire and Humber Government Office Region (GOR) is available in table 4 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 10—UK Regular Forces distribution across UK. The most recent tri-service publication is at 1 April 2006 and is available at:

Copies of TSP 10 are available in the Library of the House and are also available at

TSP 10 data are not available in centrally held databases. As a result it is not possible to produce a consistent time series since 1979 without incurring disproportionate cost.

Data on the posted location of Volunteer Reserve forces are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The following table shows civilian personnel strength in Yorkshire and the Humber, North Yorkshire and the City of York.


25 July 2007 : Column 1075W
Civilian Personnel
As at 1 April: Yorkshire and the Humber North Yorkshire City of York

1993

5,320

n/a

1994

5,080

n/a

n/a

1995

4,670

n/a

n/a

1996

3,860

n/a

n/a

1997

3,750

n/a

n/a

1998

3,510

n/a

n/a

1999

3,490

n/a

n/a

2000

3,300

n/a

n/a

2001

3,290

n/a

n/a

2002

3,410

n/a

n/a

2003

3,560

n/a

n/a

2004

3,910

n/a

n/a

2005

3,910

n/a

n/a

2006

3,690

2,000

760

2007

3,590

1,980

650

n/a = not available
Note:
Civilian data by local authority for North Yorkshire and City of York is only available for April 2006 onwards. Prior to this it is not possible to produce a consistent time series without incurring disproportionate cost.

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