Plutonium and Uranium

HC Deb 03 December 1997 vol 302 cc249-50W

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what values were set on the(a) plutonium and (b) uranium stocks held by (i) British Nuclear Fuels and (ii) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in the National Asset Register. [18666]

Mr. Battle

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) National Asset Register records all material fixed assets owned and controlled directly by the DTI and those in executive non-departmental public bodies and public corporations for which it is responsible.

Stocks of plutonium and uranium do not form part of fixed assets held by British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

BNFL hold stocks of separated civil plutonium and uranium on behalf of UK and overseas customers, including British Energy and Magnox Electric who also own the vast majority. The UKAEA hold stocks of uranium. In view of this, no values of these materials appear in the accounts of BNFL and UKAEA. It is for the owners to decide on what value to place on these materials.