HC Deb 25 January 2001 vol 361 cc676-7W
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what hourly rate is charged to business for visits by the(a) HSE and (b) Environment Agency. [146380]

Mr. Meacher

The hourly rates charged to business to ensure adequate management of the risks created by their operations are for inspection and safety case assessment by:

  1. (a) the HSE: for inspections of sites covered by the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH)—£104; for Railways Infrastructure—£115; and for Offshore Installations—£116.
  2. (b) the Environment Agency: for environmental inspection and safety case assessment under COMAH—£104; for processing staged applications under the Integrated Pollution Control and for regulating radioactive waste disposal—£107.

The rates recover the full economic costs of these functions.