§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 April to the hon. Member for Reading, West (Sir A. Durant)Official Report, columns 18–19, if he will publish (a) the financial commitments made to the Ukraine to close down and clean up the Chernobyl reactors by (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the G7 and (b) the timetable over which these commitments are made. [27348]
§ The Prime MinisterThe memorandum of understanding signed in December 1995 between the Ukraine, the G7 countries and the European Commission provides for the closure of Chernobyl within the framework of a comprehensive assistance programme for Ukraine's energy sector. The MOU committed assistance to some $500 million in grants and to $1.8 billion in projected investments. To date, the United Kingdom has contributed over £16 million for Chernobyl-related projects and assistance with energy sector restructuring.
§ Mr. SmithTo ask the Prime Minister what estimates he has made of the cost to the United Kingdom of(a) additional health monitoring, (b) nuclear installations safety reviews, (c) compensation for loss of trade to the 419W United Kingdom and (d) other costs of the Chernobyl accident of 1986. [27386]
§ The Prime MinisterNo central estimate has been made of the cost of the United Kingdom of additional health monitoring of the Chernobyl accident. Direct costs which can be identified amount to around some £13 million for compensation paid to sheep farmers and environmental monitoring projects. In addition, over a 10-year period, £33 million will have been invested in the Government's radioactive incident monitoring network.