§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants in his Department applied in each year since 1986, through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment(a) as an independent consultant, (b) with a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 3 May 1994]: Since 1986, the Department of Transport has received 220 separate applications from 202 civil servants under the business appointment rules system; 63 applications have been to seek work as independent consultants, 39 to join a firm of consultants, and 118 to undertake other types of work. On a year-by-year basis, the detail of the applications is as follows:
§ Mr. Tim SmithThe publication of the report of the photochemical oxidants review group was announced by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside on 19 April 1994. In his announcement, my hon. Friend referred to the pollution control measures taken by the Government and indicated that he shortly expects to receive recommendations from the expert panel on air quality standards on a standard for ozone based on effects on human health. The Government will be considering the need for further reductions of ozone precursors in the light of these recommendations and discussion at European and international level.
Ozone is one of the pollutants monitored in Northern Ireland as part of the national urban air quality monitoring network. The results measured show that ozone levels in Northern Ireland are well within national and international standards and indeed, are among the lowest in the United Kingdom.