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Nuclear Levy
Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money has been raised by the nuclear levy on consumers' bills since 1990 to the present day in 1995 prices. [12477]
Mr. Page: The total amount raised by the fossil fuel levy for financing nuclear and renewables generators from 1990-91 to 1994-95--the latest figure available--is £6.686 billion in 1994-95 prices.
Source:
Office of Electricity Regulation. Converted to 1994-95 prices using the GDP Market price deflator.
Nuclear Industry (Insurance)
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the requirements for insurance to cover the risk of accidents including radioactive materials following privatisation of the nuclear industry; what assessment he has made of whether appropriate cover is available from commercial insurance sources; what contingency plans have been drawn up for the Government to continue to cover such risks in the absence of commercial insurance; and what charge would be made to the privatised industry for such state insurance. [12240]
Mr. Page: Under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, a UK nuclear generator is required to have insurance for third party nuclear liability of £140 million for any one incident. For claims over £140 million, compensation may be paid out up to a total of around £280 million, from public funds. Parliament may also vote further funds. These arrangements apply whether the operator is in the public or private sector in accordance with the UK's obligations under the Paris and Brussels conventions on civil nuclear liability. When these limits were set in 1994, they took into account the capacity of commercially available insurance.
British Energy
Mr. Battle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the net present value of estimated future profit of British Energy; and what discount rate this assumes. [12479]
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 658
Mr. Eggar:
The net present value of estimated future profit of British Energy depends on the discount rate used. If such information is to be made available to investors, it will be included in the prospectus.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff (a) specialise in energy and (b) spend time on energy-related issues. [12481]
Mr. Eggar:
Within my Department, there are at present 484 staff in the energy command, which deals with energy-related issues. There are also staff elsewhere in the Department who spend time on energy matters where these impact on their main areas of responsibility, but it is not possible to quantify the number of staff falling into this category.
Mr. Davidson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many companies made successful applications to the national insurance fund as a result of failing to meet statutory obligations to provide redundancy payments for employees under the terms of current employment legislation for each year since 1979; and if he will provide the figures for each year with regard to the total cost of the approved applications from the national insurance fund expressing the costs (a) on a consistent basis and (b) at constant 1979 prices. [12612]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
The information is not available in the form requested. The total cost to the national insurance fund of statutory redundancy payments made to employees under section 106 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 is set out in the table. The figures include payments to former employees of insolvent businesses.
| Year | £ million | £ million at constant 1979 prices(12) |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | 19.3 | 19.3 |
| 1980-81 | 42.0 | 35.5 |
| 1981-82 | 53.0 | 40.8 |
| 1982-83 | 72.2 | 51.9 |
| 1983-84 | 69.0 | 47.4 |
| 1984-85 | 57.1 | 37.4 |
| 1985-86 | 54.6 | 33.9 |
| 1986-87 | 50.2 | 30.2 |
| 1987-88 | 34.9 | 19.9 |
| 1988-89 | 32.4 | 17.4 |
| 1989-90 | 25.7 | 12.9 |
| 1990-91 | 67.6 | 31.3 |
| 1991-92 | 131.8 | 57.6 |
| 1992-93 | 161.9 | 67.9 |
| 1993-94 | 130.6 | 53.2 |
| 1994-95 | 89.5 | 35.8 |
(12) GDP Deflator used to calculate constant 1979 prices.
Post Office (Privatisation)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultation he has had with the Post Office on a timetable for privatisation. [12605]
Mr. Oppenheim:
None.
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 659
Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress is being made in separating AEA Technology from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. [13066]
Mr. Page:
The Secretary of State intends to give a direction to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority under section 1(1) of the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1995 to make a scheme providing for the transfer, on 31 March 1996, of the property, rights and liabilities of what constitutes AEA Technology to a single successor company, AEA Technology plc, owned by the Secretary of State.
From that date, the commercial activities of the authority will be carried on by the new company. The authority itself will focus in future on the safe and cost-effective maintenance and decommissioning of its nuclear liabilities. It will also continue to run the UK's nuclear fusion programme.
Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the findings from the research into the wider effects of inward investment will be made available. [13067]
Mr. Eggar:
The commissioning Departments for this research have received the consultants' report on the "Assessment of the Wider Effects of Inward Investment in Manufacturing in the UK". I have placed copies of the report in the Libraries of the House. Copies are available from my Department, regional development division, room 3.E.45, 1 Victoria street, London SW1H 0ET.
Mr. Prescott:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for each of the English regions the expenditure on regional selective assistance offers accepted by companies in (a) 1991-92, (b) 1992-93, (c) 1993-94 and (d) 1994-95, the proportion of regional selective assistance expenditure on foreign-owned firms and regional selective assistance expenditure per employee in manufacturing. [12703]
Mr. Eggar:
Offers of regional selective assistance accepted in the period 1991-92 to 1994-95 were as follows:
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Mr. Hutton: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of regional selective assistance grants in each intermediate and development area in 1994 and 1995. [12388]
Mr. Oppenheim: Offers of regional selective assistance accepted in 1994 and 1995 were as follows:
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 661
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