Mr. O'NeillTo ask the President of the Board of Trade when he informed the European Commission of all loans, grants and loan guarantees provided to British Nuclear Fuels plc under the Atomic Energy Act 1989, in respect of the Thorp reprocessing plant; and under what provision of EC law this notification is required.
§ Mr. EggarThe question whether the matters referred to by the hon. Member are notifiable state aids is one which will have to be considered by the Commission in addressing Greenpeace's complaint.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the predicted construction cost of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield when consent for construction was given; and what is the most recent estimate of its completion cost, in both historic and current prices.
§ Mr. EggarWhen consent was given for construction of the THORP plant at Sellafield, the estimated cost of the plant, together with that of the receipt and storage facilities and an appropriate share of the cost of vitrification facilities for high level waste, was £645 million in mid-1977 money values.
Construction was completed in February 1992. I am advised by BNFL that the actual cost of the plant, together with the ancillary facilities mentioned above, was £1,960 million. The cost, exclusive of the share of the vitrification facilities, was approximately £1,850 million.
If the cost of £1,960 million is deflated to mid-1977 money values from the date when the various expenditures occurred, the equivalent value is £851 million.