§ Mr. BakerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what mechanisms exist for the exchange of information between(a) her Department, (b) United Kingdom Atomic Energy Agency, (c) British Nuclear Fuels, (d) British Energy and (e) the Ministry of Defence. [9915]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 22 July 1997]: No institutionalised links exist for the exchange of information between all these parties, although the Department is in regular contact with UKAEA and BNFL as the sponsor of these organisations, and with the MOD, as necessary, through the normal channels of communication between Government Departments. UKAEA also has a statutory duty to report regularly to the Department, as part of the preparation of its published annual reports and accounts.
British Energy is, of course, a commercial organisation and has the same access to the Department as any other company.