§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what reports her Department has received from British Energy on the immobilisation strategy for separated plutonium. [6408]
§ Mr. BattleNone. This is a commercial matter for British Energy—subject to complying with the relevant regulatory safeguards.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the payments covered by the contract between BNFL and British Energy announced on 4 June relates to(a) spent fuel charges and (b) fuel fabrication charges. [6406]
§ Mr. BattleDetails of the contracts between BNFL and British Energy are commercially confidential and are a matter for the companies involved.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the spent fuel covered by the contract between BNFL and British Energy announced on 4 July will be(a) stored, (b) wet stored and (e) reprocessed. [6405]
§ Mr. BattleDetails of the contracts between BNFL and British Energy, which was announced on 4 June, are commercially confidential. I understand, however, that initially an estimated 800 tonnes will be reprocessed. How the remaining spent fuel will be dealt with is a matter for the companies involved although it will include a mixture of reprocessing and storage.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans BNFL has notified to her Department relating to the use of plutonium not produced at Sellafield in the proposed Sellafield MOX plant. [6404]
§ Mr. BattleThe Sellafield MOX plant is designed to produce Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel for BNFL's customers from the recycled plutonium and uranium separated during reprocessing. In the main, it is envisaged that the Sellafield MOX Plant will utilise plutonium arising from reprocessing of spent fules at THORP which belong to overseas customers. The Sellafield MOX plant has the capability to blend uranium and plutonium which has been separated at other reprocessing plants. I understand, however, that there are no current plans to utilise this capability.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated annual cost of storing(a) a cubic metre of vitrified high-level waste and (b) a container of vitrified high-level waste in the vitrified product store at BNFLs Sellafield site. [6412]
300W
§ Mr. BattleOnce spent fuel has been reprocessed and the reusable uranium and plutonium extracted the small proportion of high level waste can be vitrified. The cost and subsequent charge to customers for storing vitrified waste is a commercial matter between BNFL and its customers.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what cash resources are held by BNFL to meet its share of the nuclear liabilities arising at its sites. [6411]
§ Mr. BattleDetails of the funding currently held by BNFL to meet its nuclear liabilities are published in the company's Annual Report and Accounts. The last available figures from the 1995–96 report are given as £1.12 billion. The difference between this and the discounted figure of £1.58 billion, given in the report, will be provided over remaining plant lives. Full details are provided in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if BNFL makes cash payments into a segregated fund for the purpose of meeting its share of the nuclear liabilities arising at its sites. [6410]
§ Mr. BattleBNFL, which is a publically owned company, does not make payments into a segregated fund for its nuclear liabilities. The company is, however, required to ensure that the resources called for will be available. Investment and management of these funds is carried out by BNFL in accordance with Treasury guidelines. Details of, and information relating to, provisions for total liabilities for which BNFL is liable are published in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements established by BNFL to enable it to meet its share of the nuclear liabilities arising at its sites. [6409]
§ Mr. BattleBNFL is required to make full and adequate provision for its liabilities, The Company undertakes an annual review of its waste management and decommissioning liabilities and then ensures that, in the light of this, it makes proper provision for the resources estimated. BNFL's published accounts for 1995–96 indicate the BNFL's share of the costs of nuclear liabilities was £2.6 billion (undiscounted) or £1.6 billion (discounted), of which £1.1 billion has been provided for to date in the Company's accounts.
The provisions are expressed at current price levels and are based on the latest technical assessments of the processes and methods likely to be used in the future. They represent estimates derived from a combination of the latest technical knowledge available, existing legislation and regulations and commercial agreements.
Full details of future liabilities for which BNFL are liable and the basis of providing for them, are contained in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.