§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list(a) the number of industrial contracts secured by BNFL for the Sellafield MOX plant, together with their country of origin, (b) the value of these contracts and (c) the percentage of the Sellafield MOX plant reference case represented by these contracts. [25413]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 9 January 2002]: Contracts for the supply of MOX fuel are a commercial matter for BNFL and its customers.
BNFL's MOX supply prospects were considered in detail by the independent consultants, AD Little, in their review of BNFL's economic case for operation of Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP). A public domain version of AD Little's report (from which commercially confidential information was excluded) was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health in July 2001 and is attached to the decision document on MOX justification published on 3 October 2001.
It can be noted that in a press release of 3 October 2001 BNFL stated that,
SMP already has contracted/reserved business for the 40 per cent, "break even" sales and ADL [AD Little] stated that they have evidence of customer commitment for 99 per cent, of the SMP reference business case".
§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the production of mixed oxide fuel began at the Sellafield MOX plant. [25407]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 9 January 2002]: BNFL began the first stage of active plutonium commissioning of the Sellafield MOX plant on 21 December 2001.