§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the reason for the proposed increase in publicly funded accident insurance coverage for nuclear facilities set out in the draft statutory instrument on the Atomic Energy and Radioactive Substances Nuclear Installations (Increase of Operators' Limits of Liability) Order 1994.
§ Mr. EggarThe order increases the liability limit of nuclear operators under the Nuclear Installations Act for third party nuclear damage from £20 million to £140 million. In the case of licensees of prescribed sites, the limit will increase from £5 million to £10 million.
As set out in the explanatory memorandum to the order, the increase is in line with the recommendation made in 1990 by the steering committee for nuclear energy of the OECD for countries which are parties to the Paris convention. A copy of the memorandum will be placed in the Library of the House.