Atomic Energy Authority (Hansard, 17 February 1994)

§ Mr. Eggar

The consultation study I announced on 1 April was completed in the summer of 1993. Since then 923W I have held discussions with my colleagues and with AEA management and staff representatives about the way ahead. I have concluded that the business activities in the AEA's new commercial division are capable of privatisation and that privatisation represents the logical next step in the AEA's on-going commercial development. Decisions on the form of privatisation will be taken in due course, but there is no presumption that this should follow the present structure. The decisions taken will be based on performance in the market place and the extent to which the various options would meet customer requirements, enhance competition, help to improve United Kingdom competitiveness and maximise the return to the taxpayer. Legislation for privatisation will be brought forward in due course.

Ownership of, and responsibility for, the safe management of the AEA's nuclear liabilities, as well as certain other functions more appropriate to government,

£thousands, 1992–93 prices
Executive non-departmental public bodies	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	¹1994–95	¹1995–96
	outturn	outturn	outturn	estimates	plans	plans
British Hallmarking Council	0	0	0	0	0	0
Advisory Committees on Telecommunications for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland	211	221	112	129	129	129
Area Transport Users' Consultative Committees	645	620	582	1,052	Not known²
Central Transport Consultative Committee	274	555	506
Domestic Coal Consumers' Council	127	158	121	121	75	62
Gas Consumers' Council	2,562	2,527	2,767	2,828	2,525	2,517
London Regional Passengers' Committee	301	436	280	316	-(2)	-(2)
National Consumer Council	2,457	2,657	2,930	2,818	2,303	2,123
Post Office Users' National Council	455	458	448	694	576	599
Post Office Users' Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland	120	122	275
Design Council	7,245	7,732	7,287	7,446	6,705	3,590
English Industrial Estates Corporation (EIEC)	18,550	0	6,000	19,370	Not known³
Hearing Aid Council	—	—	—	—	—	—
Monopolies and Mergers Commission	6,330	6,400	5,540	7,070	6,870	7,290
National Enterprise Board (NEB)⁴	0	0	0	0	0	0
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC)⁴	0	0	0	0	0	0
Policyholders' Protection Board	0	0	0	0	0	0
The Simpler Trade Procedures Board	734	876	869	848	845	930
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority	0	0	0	0	0	0
¹ Planned figures are subject to change in annual PES negotiations.
² After 31 March 1994 the Central Transport Consultative Committee and the area Transport Users' Consultative Committees sponsorship will be the responsibility of the Office of the Rail Regulator. Sponsorship of the London Regional Passengers' Committee passes similarly to the Department of Transport.
³ English Partnerships will take over the work of English Industrial Estates Corporation on 1 April 1994.
⁴ Following the privatisation in 1992, the National Enterprise Board and National Research Development Corporation Boards' continue to carry out certain residuary functions.

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will remain in the public sector but contracts for decommissioning and radioactive waste management work will increasingly be put out to competition. I will be exploring how best to organise these activities in the longer term and will make further announcements when I am in a position to do so.