§ Mr. David Priceasked the Minister of Technology if he is satisfied that the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority steam generating heavy water reactor on offer to Imatran Voima, Finland, is both technically and commercially fully competitive with reactors on offer from other countries; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. BennYes. The United Kingdom Energy Authority and myself are completely confident that the steam generating heavy water reactor is technically and commercially competitive with other reactor systems on offer in Finland. In a commercial competition, we are not, of course, in a position to know details of offers made to Imatran Voima by other countries.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Minister of Technology what Her Majesty's Government and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority are doing to ensure that the Finnish Government make their choice of nuclear reactors for Imatran Voima on grounds of technical and commercial merit.
§ Mr. BennIn August, 1967, before undertaking the preparation of this tender for the Finnish nuclear power station, the Authority sought and received the assurance of the Finnish Government that the only criteria to be adopted in the selection of the successful tenderer would be commercial and technical merit. During recent discussions with the Finnish Foreign Minister I was assured that this position still obtains.