Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) of 10 July,Official Report, column 380, if he will set out a detailed breakdown of the expenditure listed for 1988–89 nuclear, under the column headed "Other"; and what are the reasons for the increase from 1987–88 to 1988–89.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThe information requested is set out in the table. It should be noted that the figures are based on estimated outturn. Final outturn figures for 1988–89 are not yet available and will be published in the appropriate accounts in the usual way.
The increase from 1987–88 is largely accounted for by decommissioning and radioactive waste management operations (Drawmops), the purpose of which is to enable the UKAEA to do the work needed to ensure that the Department's liabilities for radioactive waste management and decommissioning work are properly and safely met. The 1988–89 main estimates provision for Drawmops was some £10 million higher than in 1987–88. Drawmops is an operational programme where the work in any particular year is determined in the light of safety factors and the need to carry out work at least overall cost to the taxpayer. The Drawmops figure in the table also includes the provision of £51.4 million made in a spring supplementary
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Year Expenditure on energy by-final users Tax as a proportion of expenditure on energy Energy expenditure as a proportion of GDP1 £ million Per cent. Per cent. 1986 37,950 22.6 10.0 1987 38,530 23.4 9.3 1988 38,910 24.9 8.5 Estimate for outstanding UKAEA liabilities to British Nuclear Fuels plc for decommissioning and radioactive waste operations.
As explained in the Department's 1988 main Estimates (HC 339-vi), some £18 million of overall expenditure with the UKAEA in 1988–89 represented a technical adjustment to the timing of payments made by the Department (offset by a corresponding reduction in the UKAEA's external financing limit to leave no net change in public expenditure). This adjustment accounts for some £5 million of the expenditure in the "Other" column.
The remainder of the increase on the 1987–88 total is accounted for by small increases in other programmes.
Breakdown of Department of Energy 1988–89 expenditure under "Other" heading in table at column 380, Official Report 10 July 1989 £ million General Nuclear Safety Research 6.6 Radiological Protection Research 0.5 Safeguards 1.2 Radioactive Waste Management Research 2.4 NIREX 1.2 Nuclear Materials Management 4.5 Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management Operations 84.7 Winfrith 6.3 Public Information 3.0 Advisory Services and Other 3.9 Contribution to UKAEA's Underlying Research Programme 17.1 Miscellaneous 0.5 Total 131.9