HC Deb 20 November 2001 vol 375 cc163-4W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the purchase price paid by BNFL for each of the companies acquired in the US since 1990 was. [14862]

Mr. Wilson

BNFL has informed me that BNFL Business Group has purchased five companies in the US since 1990:

  • January 1995—Pajarito Scientific Corporation (now BNFL Instruments Inc.) for £3 million;
  • December 1997—Manufacturing Sciences Corporation for £2 million;
  • March 1998—Sierra Nuclear Corporation for £2 million;
  • March 1999—Westinghouse Electric Company LLC for £607 million; and
  • April 2000—nuclear power business of ABB for £291 million.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual throughput capacity is of the Sellafield MOX plant; and what the original design capacity was. [14860]

Mr. Wilson

This is commercially sensitive information.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the final cost of the Sellafield MOX plant constructed by BNFL was. [14861]

Mr. Wilson

In BNFL's latest published annual report and accounts SMP is identified as a tangible asset in the course of construction with a carrying value of £462 million. This value was based on the assumption that there would be a positive decision on justification of the manufacture of MOX and that plutonium commissioning of the plant would proceed.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the(a) profit and (b) loss of BNFL Inc has been in each year since the company was established. [14863]

Mr. Wilson

This is a commercial matter for BNFL.

As a US subsidiary BNFL Inc is not required to report annual profit and loss details as is required by BNFL plc in the UK. BNFL Inc is part of BNFL plc's Nuclear Clean Up and Decommissioning Business Group for which segmental information is published in BNFL's annual report and accounts.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value is of overseas contracts won by BNFL since 1990 for(a) reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, (b) shipping spent nuclear, vitrified waste and MOX fuel and (c) manufacturing MOX fuel. [14864]

Mr. Wilson

This is a commercial matter for BNFL. Information about the financial performance of BNFL's spent fuel management business can be found in the company's annual report and accounts.