§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding is provided from the United Kingdom via the European bank for reconstruction and development for the Slovakian Mochovce nuclear reactor; and what financial liability the Government will have to assume in the event of an accident at the plant.
§ Mr. BaldryThe UK Government would not provide any funding specifically for the Mochovce project.
We would not assume any financial liability in the event of an accident. Once Slovakia fulfils its undertaking to accede to the Vienna convention—which would he a condition of disbursement of the bank's proposed loan—all liability for damages resulting from a nuclear incident would be channelled to the operating organisation, Slovenske Elektarne, the Slovak power utility. In addition, the bank would receive an indemnity from the Slovak Government against liability for nuclear incidents.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what position the United Kingdom has taken on the European bank for reconstruction and development loan for the completion of the Slovakian Mochovce reactor; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of a plant if this nature with the standards which would be required in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BaldryWe have not yet taken a position on this project but are examining the project documentation, particularly the least-cost analysis study, safety report. and environmental impact assessment report, and will also130W need to consider the outcome of the public participation programme currently being carried out in Slovakia and neighbouring countries.
No assessment against United Kingdom licensing requirements has been made, but the bank has required that the safety assessment be based on an approach demonstrably equivalent to good western practices and the safety improvement programme at Mochovce has been reviewed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.