§ Mr. FabricantTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress is being made in separating AEA Technology from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. [13066]
§ Mr. PageThe Secretary of State intends to give a direction to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority under section 1(1) of the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1995 to make a scheme providing for the transfer, on 31 March 1996, of the property, rights and liabilities of what constitutes AEA Technology to a single successor company, AEA Technology plc, owned by the Secretary of State.
From that date, the commercial activities of the authority will be carried on by the new company. The authority itself will focus in future on the safe and cost-effective maintenance and decommissioning of its nuclear liabilities. It will also continue to run the UK's nuclear fusion programme.