Nuclear Energy (Hansard, 3 December 2002)

§ Mr. Stunell
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial commitments she has made towards research into Generation IV nuclear energy systems; and if she will make a statement. [83877]

§ Mr. Wilson
The UK with eight other countries signed the Charter of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) in July 2001. The initiative foresaw a need for advanced nuclear energy systems in the future to help meet growing international demands for carbon free energy; and that to meet public concerns, future systems must meet exceptionally high standards of safety, sustainability and proliferation resistance, while operating economically in liberalised markets. The aim is to develop a framework for collaborative R&D to facilitate the deployment of such advanced reactor systems from 2030 and beyond. The GIF meeting in Tokyo in September 2002 agreed a "Roadmap" for R&D development based on six systems selected as best satisfying these goals. Further information is available from the following website -http://energY.gov/ HOPress/releases02/scppr/GIFupdate.pdf
UK participation in the Charter is without commitment to a specific nuclear proportion of UK electricity generation sources. The involvement of representatives from DTI, HSE and the industry ensures our nuclear technology and regulatory experience is shared internationally.
The framework for international research agreement under the Generation IV initiative has yet to be put in place and the extent of any UK financial commitment to research has yet to be decided.

§ Mr. Stunell
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the(a) UK's role within the Generation IV International Forum and (b) agreement reached on Generation IV nuclear energy systems in Japan in September. [83878]

§ Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the level of BNFL- funded nuclear waste decommissioning and radioactive remediation liabilities. [84267]

§ Mr. Wilson
The recent DTI White Paper, Managing the Nuclear Legacy—a strategy for action, estimated that public sector civil nuclear liabilities stood at £47.9 billion undiscounted as at 31 March 2002; BNFL's share of those liabilities stood at £27.2 billion at that time.