§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff there are in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; how many of those are qualified inspectors; where they are located; and what is their annual budget.
§ Mr. MacleanThere are currently 309 staff in post in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, of whom 162 are inspectors and 147 administrative staff.
The approved complement for 1992–93 has been increased to 377.5 staff. HMIP is currently recruiting additional staff up to this complement.
HMIP staff are located as follows:
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Numbers Bedford 33.0 Birmingham 3.5 Bristol 42.0 Cardiff 15.5
Numbers Chelmsford 2.5 Darlington 8.0 East Grinstead 2.5 Lancaster 18.0 Leeds 28.5 Lincoln 7.5 London 1121.0 Newcastle-under-Lyme 1.0 Runcorn 16.0 Sheffield 10.0 1 Including 18 staff due to move to Reading in autumn 1992. HMIP's forecast expenditure for 1992–93, on a full economic cost basis, is £27.5 million, including £7.5 million research expenditure.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) inspections and (b) prosecutions have been undertaken as part of the work of HM inspectorate of pollution in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. MacleanThe number of inspections carried out by HMIP is as follows:
Visits to works (England and Wales) Number 1987–88 10,164 1988–89 9,782 1989–90 7,887 1990–91 3,867 1991–92 6,327 Note: These figures include visits to or in connection with scheduled and non-scheduled works by inspectors and sampling teams, and visits regarding radioactive emissions to air by inspectors and sampling teams. In addition to the above visits there were a number of meetings with companies in connection with scheduled work but not involving site inspection.
The number of prosecutions taken by HMIP over the last five years are as follows:
Number 1987–88 3 1988–89 2 1989–90 4 1990–91 1 1991–92 11 All prosecutions except one in 1989–90 resulted in convictions.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has made of each of the nine proposals for power plants and incinerators in the east London corridor; and what assessment is had made about them cumulatively.
§ Mr. MacleanHer Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has received five applications under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to operate new power plants and incinerators in the east Thames corridor and is scrutinising them to satisfy itself that they meet the requirements of the Act. So far, one has been determined. HMIP is aware that other applications might be made and is carrying out an assessment of the possible effect on air quality in east London of each individual plant and the cumulative effect of them all.