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Arms Sales (Saudi Arabia)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many swords have been exported to Saudi Arabia since 1992. [5504]
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 26 June 1997]: The information requested is not available because the system of classification used to record trade does not separately identify swords.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what reports her Department has received from British Energy on the immobilisation strategy for separated plutonium. [6408]
Mr. Battle: None. This is a commercial matter for British Energy--subject to complying with the relevant regulatory safeguards.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the payments covered by the contract between BNFL and British Energy announced on 4 June relates to (a) spent fuel charges and (b) fuel fabrication charges. [6406]
Mr. Battle: Details of the contracts between BNFL and British Energy are commercially confidential and are a matter for the companies involved.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the spent fuel covered by the contract between BNFL and British Energy announced on 4 July will be (a) stored, (b) wet stored and (c) reprocessed. [6405]
Mr. Battle: Details of the contracts between BNFL and British Energy, which was announced on 4 June, are commercially confidential. I understand, however, that initially an estimated 800 tonnes will be reprocessed. How the remaining spent fuel will be dealt with is a matter for the companies involved although it will include a mixture of reprocessing and storage.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans BNFL has notified to her Department relating to the use of plutonium not produced at Sellafield in the proposed Sellafield MOX plant. [6404]
Mr. Battle: The Sellafield MOX plant is designed to produce Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel for BNFL's customers from the recycled plutonium and uranium separated during reprocessing. In the main, it is envisaged that the Sellafield MOX Plant will utilise plutonium arising from reprocessing of spent fuels at THORP which belong to overseas customers. The Sellafield MOX plant has the capability to blend uranium and plutonium which has been separated at other reprocessing plants. I understand, however, that there are no current plans to utilise this capability.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated annual cost of storing (a) a cubic metre of vitrified high-level waste and (b) a container of vitrified high-level waste in the vitrified product store at BNFL's Sellafield site. [6412]
4 Jul 1997 : Column: 300
Mr. Battle:
Once spent fuel has been reprocessed and the reusable uranium and plutonium extracted the small proportion of high level waste can be vitrified. The cost and subsequent charge to customers for storing vitrified waste is a commercial matter between BNFL and its customers.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what cash resources are held by BNFL to meet its share of the nuclear liabilities arising at its sites. [6411]
Mr. Battle:
Details of the funding currently held by BNFL to meet its nuclear liabilities are published in the company's Annual Report and Accounts. The last available figures from the 1995-96 report are given as £1.12 billion. The difference between this and the discounted figure of £1.58 billion, given in the report, will be provided over remaining plant lives. Full details are provided in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if BNFL makes cash payments into a segregated fund for the purpose of meeting its share of the nuclear liabilities arising at its sites. [6410]
Mr. Battle:
BNFL, which is a publically owned company, does not make payments into a segregated fund for its nuclear liabilities. The company is, however, required to ensure that the resources called for will be available. Investment and management of these funds is carried out by BNFL in accordance with Treasury guidelines. Details of, and information relating to, provisions for total liabilities for which BNFL is liable are published in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements established by BNFL to enable it to meet its share of the nuclear liabilities arising at its sites. [6409]
Mr. Battle:
BNFL is required to make full and adequate provision for its liabilities. The Company undertakes an annual review of its waste management and decommissioning liabilities and then ensures that, in the light of this, it makes proper provision for the resources estimated. BNFL's published accounts for 1995-96 indicate the BNFL's share of the costs of nuclear liabilities was £2.6 billion (undiscounted) or £1.6 billion (discounted), of which £1.1 billion has been provided for to date in the Company's accounts.
The provisions are expressed at current price levels and are based on the latest technical assessments of the processes and methods likely to be used in the future. They represent estimates derived from a combination of the latest technical knowledge available, existing legislation and regulations and commercial agreements.
Full details of future liabilities for which BNFL are liable and the basis of providing for them, are contained in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
4 Jul 1997 : Column: 301
Dr. Vis:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the figures for theft of post entrusted to the Royal Mail in each of the last five years; what steps are being taken to prevent such theft; how many prosecutions there have been in each year; and if he will list the figures for the Finchley and Golders Green constituency. [6293]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
I understand from the Post Office that Royal Mail handles in excess of 17.5 billion items of mail each year of which only a tiny fraction is claimed not to have been delivered. That tiny fraction includes mail which has been delivered but subsequently stolen, mail which has been delivered but fraudulently claimed not to have been, misdelivered mail and incorrectly addressed mail delivered as addressed.
Theft of mail is a criminal offence which Royal Mail takes very seriously. For security reasons, it would not be appropriate to disclose the active measures which Royal Mail undertakes, and continually reviews, in order to prevent the theft of mail.
Figures for the number of mail items stolen and the number of prosecutions is a commercial matter for Royal Mail. This is not information which other mail companies would disclose.
Mr. Burnett:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date he expects to receive Sir Peter Middleton's review of civil justice and legal aid reforms; and if he will make a statement. [5971]
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor has asked Sir Peter Middleton to produce a preliminary report by the end of September.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he plans to take to improve the protection of purchases and sellers of homes in England and Wales from (a) gazumping and (b) late withdrawals before contract. [6070]
Mr. Hoon:
Work will shortly be under way across a number of Government Departments co-operating together which will look closely at the problem of gazumping and will lead to detailed proposals which will be in the interests of everyone involved in the sale and purchase of homes.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Strategic Defence Review will include the science and technology division of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency. [6842]
4 Jul 1997 : Column: 302
Dr. Reid:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Russell) on 24 June 1997, Official Report, columns 422-23.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what has been the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average award of compensation before repayment of any DSS benefits to the Compensation Recovery Unit in respect of asbestos-related claims by MOD (i) civilian and (ii) former civilian staff in the last five years for (1) pleural plaques, (2) diffuse pleural thickening, (3) asbestosis, (4) mesothelioma and (5) lung cancer; [6492]
(3) how many claims made in the last 15 years in respect of MOD civilian (a) staff and (b) former staff have resulted in financial compensation for (i) pleural plaques, (ii) diffuse pleural thickening, (iii) asbestosis, (iv) mesothelioma and (v) lung cancer attributable to exposure to asbestos during their service with (1) the Royal Navy, (2) the Royal Air Force and (3) the Army. [6487]
Dr. Reid:
My Department's computer records do not show the particular asbestos-related disease or diseases that claimants have allegedly contracted, or whether a civilian or former civilian member of staff claiming compensation was ever in the Armed Forces, or if employed in support of the Armed Forces, with which Service. The claimants' employment status at the time the claim was submitted and at the time settled is not readily available. Information on employment history and status could only be provided in respect of the more recent claimants and then only at disproportionate cost. Documentation on claims from civilian and former civilian employees is routinely destroyed three years after the claims has been settled.
(2) how many claims by MOD civilian or former civilian staff are outstanding in relation to illnesses resulting from alleged exposure to asbestos during their service with (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) and Army; [6489]
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