HC Deb 25 February 2002 vol 380 cc860-2W
Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what liaison her Department's Liabilities Management Unit has with the ALFA Group within BNFL. [36471]

Mr. Wilson

When established, I expect the Department's Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) and the ALFA Group within BNFL to have a close working relationship. One of the LMU's roles will be to monitor BNFL's performance and the ALFA Group will be the LMU's main contact point within BNFL. I expect the two bodies to work together to develop new measures and approaches aimed at improving BNFL's performance as a liabilities manager and delivering the sharper focus on clean up which the Government wish to achieve.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she plans to transfer the UK Atomic Energy Authority laboratories at Sellafield to the new Liabilities Management Authority. [36473]

Mr. Wilson

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001, the Liabilities Management Authority will be responsible for all public sector civil nuclear liabilities. This will include all of the UK Atomic Energy Authority's liabilities including those at Windscale (adjacent to Sellafield).

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether current contracts for Thorp and SMP at Sellafield will be made public as part of the transparency process in setting up the Liabilities Management Authority. [36470]

Mr. Wilson

The contracts between BNFL and its customers for Thorp and SMP are commercially confidential.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to recruit a director for the Liabilities Management Authority. [36472]

Mr. Wilson

The Liabilities Management Authority will be established by legislation. No action will be taken to recruit a Director for the Authority until the founding legislation has been scrutinised by Parliament and has passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to establish an embryonic board for the Liabilities Management Authority. [36474]

Mr. Wilson

The Liabilities Management Authority will be established by legislation. No action will be taken to recruit board members for the Authority until the founding legislation has been scrutinised by Parliament and has passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources have been committed by her Department to the establishment and development of the New Liabilities Management Unit. [36469]

Mr. Wilson

My officials have had discussions with BNFL about working relationships between the Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) and the company and action is in hand to recruit senior staff and to appoint a partner contractor with top quality technical, operational and strategic management skills. As yet, however, no decision has been taken about the overall composition of the LMU or its budget.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the shadow Liabilities Management agency will be covered by the rules governing non-departmental public bodies. [36466]

Mr. Wilson

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Liabilities Management Unit which is currently being set up.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001 that DTI would strengthen its existing capacity for overseeing work on the nuclear legacy prior to the creation of the Liabilities Management Authority. The Department is creating a Liabilities Management Unit to play this role.

The Unit will be part of the Department and, therefore, not covered by the rules governing non-departmental public bodies.

Mr. Stunell

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's liabilities management unit with specific reference to(a) its role, (b) its level of staff, (c) its annual budget and (d) the expected length of its existence. [37083]

Mr. Wilson

The Department's Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) is in the process of being established. Action is in hand to recruit senior staff and to appoint a partner contractor with top quality technical, operational and strategic management skills. As yet, however, no decision has been taken about the overall composition of the LMU or its budget.

The LMU is intended to strengthen DTI's capacity for overseeing work on the nuclear legacy prior to the creation of the proposed Liabilities Management Authority (LMA). This includes, in particular, acquiring a more detailed knowledge of BNFL liabilities and working with BNFL to develop measures for monitoring BNFL's performance as a liabilities manager.

We envisage that the LMU will be wound up once the LMA is operational.