§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the chief inspector of the nuclear installations inspectorate concerning the length of time out of service of reactors at Trawsfynydd power station; and what is the estimated effect of this on the setting of the level of the nuclear levy.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe shutting down of the reactors at Trawsfynydd is an operational matter for Nuclear Electric plc—NE. Nevertheless, I am kept informed of developments, and I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate is currently considering NE's interim safety case for the return of the reactors to operation.
Under the terms of NE's contract with the regional electricity companies, the fossil fuel levy would tend to decrease to the extent that Nuclear Electric fails to generate the full pre-determined output that would attract the pre-determined premium price. However, to the extent that NE is able to generate this output from other stations, there would be no impact on the levy.