Written question asked by Dai Davies (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 20 January 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 January 2009. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 February 2009 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

British Energy: EDF Energy

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 19WS, on EDF takeover, whether the £4.42 billion dedicated to the Nuclear Liabilities Fund paid on 19 January by Electricité de France EDF may be used for decontamination of radioactively polluted land on British energy sites; and whether title to the plutonium owned by British Energy has been transferred to EDF as part of the takeover.

Answer: [holding answer 26 January 2009]: The assets of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund (NLF) will be used to meet certain decommissioning costs and uncontracted liabilities attaching to existing nuclear power plants operated by British Energy. To the extent that any radioactively polluted land is identified during the decommissioning process, decontamination would be paid for by the NLF if it qualified for payment under the terms of the restructuring agreements. Otherwise it would fall to the account of British Energy.Title to the plutonium owned by British Energy remains with British Energy Generation Limited (BEG). Title will not transfer to EDF as part of the takeover. However, as a result of the takeover the shares in BEG are now controlled, indirectly, by EDF.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 487 c1368-9W;487 c1367-8W; 250729
Session: 2008-09
Related items: EDF Takeover (British Energy)
Monday, 19 January 2009
Written statements
House of Commons
Subjects: British Energy EDF Group
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk