§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what channels exist for United Kingdom companies and organisations to give advice and assistance to the former Soviet Union states in order to maintain the safety of their nuclear power installations. [7717]
§ Mr. PageA number of international assistance programmes are in place to help the former Soviet Union states maintain and improve the safety of their nuclear power installations. UK companies and organisations are providing advice and assistance within the framework of the European Union's PHARE and TACIS technical assistance programmes, the nuclear safety account managed by the European bank for reconstruction and development, the World Association of Nuclear Operators and the programmes of the International Atomic Energy Agency. In addition, there is bilateral collaboration on safety between the UK nuclear industry and counterparts in the former Soviet Union.