House of Commons Hansard Debates for 28 Jun 1993

Nuclear Safety Research

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contribution is being made by the Atomic Energy Authority to the European Community's nuclear safety research project, the PHEBUS programme, at the Cadarache nuclear research centre in France ; and how this involvement will assist in evaluating potential safety problems with the Sizewell B nuclear plant.

Mr The programme is part funded by the European Community with additional funding from other countries. The Atomic Energy Authority is participating as part of the nuclear safety R and D programme sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive. The PHEBUS programme is not expected to produce results which can be used in the production of the safety case for Sizewell B.

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the contribution made to nuclear safety by research conducted at the Falcon facility at Winfrith by the Atomic Energy Authority.

Mr. Eggar : The FALCON experimental facility at the Atomic Energy Authority's Winfrith site has been used to produce data to validate computer codes employed in the modelling of some aspects of the behaviour of a nuclear reactor in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident causing severe damage to the fuel.

Atomic Energy Authority Police

Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates the police committee of the Atomic Energy Authority met representatives of the Atomic Energy Police Federation, and the representative organisations of other ranks, to discuss matters of common interest over the past years.

Mr. Eggar : There are no meetings between theAtomic Energy Authority Constabulary--AEAC--Police

Column 370

Committee, which is a management advisory body, and representatives of the AEAC Federation. However, management-- chief constable, deputy chief constable and a representative from the AEA's corporate personnel service--meets Federation representatives to discuss matters affecting the force at the AEAC joint consultative committee, which meets twice a year--most recently on 12 May 1993. There are also numerous other formal and ad hoc opportunities for Federation representatives to discuss matters affecting their members with the chief constable, other senior AEA managers and senior AEAC officers.

Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will detail the numbers, by rank and location, of the Atomic Energy Authority police since 1979.

Mr. Eggar : The current strength of the Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary (AEC) is 505 compared with 516 in 1979. More detailed information on the strength, structure and location of the AEAC is published in the AEAC chief constable's annual report and the "Constabulary Almanac Official Register 1993". Copies of the 1991 annual report are in the Library of the House and I am arranging for copies of the 1992 annual report to be placed there when it is published in July. The precise operational deployment of constabulary at British Nuclear Fuels plc and Atomic Energy Authority sites is restricted information.

Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates Ministers in his Department or the Department of Energy held a formal meeting with the Atomic Energy Police Federation during the past five years.

Mr. Eggar : There have been no meetings between Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary Federation representatives and DTI or Department of Energy Ministers during the past five years.

Internal Market

Mr. Callaghan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional help is being given to businesses to help them take advantage of the internal market.

Mr. Needham : The "Business in Europe" initiative was launched on 25 January 1993 to encourage United Kingdom companies to take advantage of the single market. Consultations were held with businesses and multiplier organisations to identify the most common problems faced by exporters. "Business in Europe" aims to provide a service which supplies only relevant information. It focuses on practical advice for exporters, information on the rules and opportunities in the single market and help in fighting barriers to trade. Access to the service is by a single 24-hour, seven-day- week, hotline number 0272 444 888, giving access to all of the DTI's overseas trade services. A range of promotional literature is available through the hotline, examples of which are available in the House of Commons Library. In addition, 20 export promoters, seconded from senior posts in industry, will be working in western Europe.

Column 371

Manufactured Imports

Mr. Callaghan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of imports in manufactured goods from European Community countries (a) in 1987 and (b) in 1992.

Mr. Needham : In 1987, the value of United Kingdom imports of manufactured goods from the European Community was £39.8 billion. In 1992 it was £53.3 billion.

Japan

Mr. Callaghan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current trade deficit with Japan ; and how much of the deficit is accounted for by manufactured goods.

Mr. Needham : In 1992, the United Kingdom had a crude deficit in visible trade with Japan of £5.22 billion. The deficit in manufactured goods was £5.45 billion.

US-Germany Telecommunications Treaty

Mr. Roger Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking or proposing to take to make representations to the German Government in respect of the US-Germany telecommunications treaty ; if he will challenge the legality of the same in the European Court ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham [holding answer 25 June 1993] : Like all other member states, Germany is bound by European Community law. The European Commission has indicated that it is considering the legality of the action of the German Government in refusing to apply either article 29 of the Utilities Directive or the recent Council regulation implementing retaliatory sanctions against the United States in the field of Government procurement.

Nuclear Waste

Mr. Ainger : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's policy on whether return of waste agreements between British Nuclear Fuels plc and overseas customers should entail substitution of equivalent amounts of radiocativity.

Mr. Eggar [holding answer 23 June 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 June 1993, Official Report, column 161 .

Coal Imports

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the recent trend in coal imports and on the prospects for the remainder of 1993.

Mr. Eggar : The level of coal imports has been declining since the middle of last year. Imports figures for 1993 are still subject to revision, but are estimated to be about 10 per cent. down on the comparable period of 1992.

Oil and Gas

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 12 May, Official Report, column 475, what arrangements have been made to obtain authorisation for access to information in oil and gas archives by the successful bidder.

Column 372

Mr. Eggar : My Department has already received the necessary written authorisations.

NATIONAL FINANCE

Departmental Speeches

Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the speeches given by Mr. Leonard Beighton of the Board of the Inland Revenue and Mrs. Valerie Strachan of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to the Financial Times conference on international tax on 14 and 15 June.

Mr. Dorrell : Copies of the speeches given by Mr. Beighton and Mrs. Strachan are being placed in the Library.

Corporation Tax

Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much corporation tax was repaid in each year since 1986-87.

Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is as follows :