HC Deb 12 February 1988 vol 127 c393W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy on how many occasions since July 1986 nuclear material has been withdrawn from safeguards under article 14 of the 1978 tripartite agreement between the United Nations, Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency; from which reactors such material originated; what quantities of material were involved on each occasion; and to what use the material was being put.

Mr. Michael Spicer

[holding answer 22 January 1988]: In the period 1 July 1986 to 31 December 1987 there have been five withdrawals of plutonium in greater than gramme quantity. One withdrawal was permanent and involved material of Calder Hall/Chapel Cross origin. Four involved the temporary removal from safeguards of material for treatment by specialised equipment in non-civil plant. These are purely technical movements which are necessary for safety reasons. All of this material will be returned to safeguards after treatment.

£ million
1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87
NIHE (Rent, Rates District Heating) 8.7 10.1 12.2 16.9 21.2 20.1 18.9 18.2
NIE (Electricity) 12.0 11.1 12.7 8.1 7.9 7.5 7.1 7.0
Rating Division 3.9 4.2 5.0 6.1 11.0 14.3 9.7 9.3
Belfast Gas 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.3 3.1 2.8

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from how many people deductions were made under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 in each of the years from 1979 to 1986.

Mr. Stanley

Numbers of people from whom deductions were made in each category are not available. However, the total number of debt cases recorded by the four creditor bodies was as follows:

Year Numbers
1979–80 175,300
1980–81 176,300
1981–82 165,000
1982–83 158,000
1983–84 169,100
1984–85 141,400
1985–86 137,000
1986–87 127,000

Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total deductions were made from public sector employees earnings in each of the years from 1979 to 1986 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971.