§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what requirement she has placed on BNFL to report to her in advance on plans to seek contracts in the United States to help develop its nuclear weapons programme; [136718]
(2) what discussions she has held with BNFL in respect of the compatibility with articles (a) one and (b) six of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of plans 1434W by BNFL to bid for a contract with the United States to build and operate a nuclear administration warhead production plant at Savannah River, South Carolina. [136719]
§ Mr. TimmsThere have been no formal discussions between my Department and BNFL on this issue. BNFL's business interests on US DOE sites through its subsidiaries relate to the environmental clean up market and not the weapons production business. The company is precluded by US Department of Energy (DOE) Security Agreements from involvement in the US defence programme.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Caton) on 13 November 2003, Official Report, column 403W.