HC Deb 06 March 2001 vol 364 cc137-8W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 15 February 2001,Official Report, column 281W, on BNFL, how many (a) non-management employees, (b) managers, (c) senior managers and (d) directors were (i) dismissed and (ii) disciplined by BNFL as a result of the MDF data falsification at Sellafield. [151663]

Mr. Hain

The detail of the changes made and actions taken by BNFL in response to the MOX data falsification issue is a matter for the company. The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) report on the MDF data falsification incident, published on 18 February 2000, included 15 recommendations which BNFL had to address to HSE's satisfaction. A number of the HSE recommendations related to identifying and dealing with specific workforce problems and improving management arrangements. A copy of the HSE report is in the Library of the House. A copy of BNFL's response to the HSE report, which was published on 18 April 2000, is also in the Library of the House. That response set out details of the programme of work through which BNFL planned to address HSE's recommendations. On 18 December 2000, HSE closed out its 15 recommendations, since they had been satisfactorily addressed by BNFL. On 22 February 2001, HSE published a further report updating the progress made by BNFL in responding to the three HSE reports published in February 2000. A copy of this report is also in the Library of the House.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 15 February 2001,Official Report, column 281W, on BNFL, when he was first informed that the quality control worker who discovered the falsification of data at the Sellafield MDF plant was a non-BNFL employee; and for what reason this information was not included in the Health and Safety Executive's report published on 18 February 2000. [151664]

Mr. Hain

I first received information about this matter when receiving advice on how to respond to the hon. Gentleman's previous question on the same subject, which I answered on 15 February 2001,Official Report, column 281W.

The question of whether to record in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) report, published on 18 February 2000, the fact that the member of BNFL's Quality Control Team at MDF to whom you refer was, at that time, employed as a contractor to BNFL through the Employment Agency NRL, is a matter for HSE. I understand that HSE will be writing to the hon. Member shortly on this matter in response to his recent letter to it.