HC Deb 14 November 2000 vol 356 cc579-81W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many(a) fatal industrial accidents and (b) industrial accidents involving a stay in hospital of over 24 hours have occurred in the Humberside Region since 1 January 1999. [134239]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 2 November 2000]: (a) Fatal Accident. The number of fatal accidents which occurred in Humberside from 1 January 1999 to 16 October 2000 and which have been reported to HSE as required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 is 16.

(b) Injuries involving a hospital stay. HSE only records details of major injuries as defined in RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regs 1995). This includes requiring

The assessment of the costs and benefits of the proposed waste incineration directive commissioned by the Department from Entec UK Ltd. (copies of which are in the House Libraries) on the basis of COMEAP data used an assumption about the proportion of ozone attributable to NOx to calculate the marginal health benefits of the NOx limits in the proposal. It concluded that the proposed NOx limit would prevent 46 deaths being brought forward and prevent or delay 91 respiratory hospital admissions as a result of the formation of ozone. Entec UK have very recently recognised a mathematical error in the original calculation, such that the figures given for the marginal health benefits of the proposed NOx limits were overstated. The correct figures for health effects of NOx are in fact significantly lower—0.7 deaths not brought forward and 0.9 respiratory hospital admissions not brought forward as a result of the formation of ozone.

The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory holds data for estimated total UK NOx emissions from three incineration sectors—sewage sludge incineration, poultry litter incineration and municipal waste incineration. This data have been extrapolated to give projected NOx emissions for 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020, using assumptions about changes in capacity, but without taking into account the NOx limits in the proposed waste incineration directive. The figures are set out in the table. On the basis of the projected 2000 total NOx figure from all three sectors, the incineration sectors covered contribute only 0.3 per cent, of the UK total NOx emissions.

admission to hospital for more than 24 hours along with serious injuries such as a fracture, amputation, loss of sight etc.

There were 1,217 major injuries logged which came into this category.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many(a) deaths and (b) injuries involving a stay in hospital occurred in premises on Humberside which were under a prohibition notice in the last five years. [134240]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 2 November 2000]There were three deaths which have occurred in premises on or after the date a Prohibition Notice was served.

HSE only records details of major injuries as defined in RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regs 1995). This includes requiring admission to hospital for more than 24 hours along with serious injuries such as a fracture, amputation, loss of sight etc. There were 78 major injuries logged which came into this category.