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Energy Bill

moved Amendment No. 43A: 43A: Clause 45, page 40, line 42, at end insert— ““and any such modification may either increase or reduce the amount of money specified in the funded decommissioning programme.”” The noble Lord said: Those who took part in the Second Reading will remember that I spoke at some length about the arrival on the scene of an American company called EnergySolutions. I gave the noble Lord, Lord Jones of Birmingham, notice that I would refer to it and after the debate he drew me aside to say two things: first, to express his gratitude that I had warned him that I would talk about this company, but he went straight on to say, ““I think it would be very helpful if you were to meet some of my officials”” to discuss matters arising from my speech. I had had such a meeting previously, which the noble Lord, Lord Jones, had suggested, on a different matter and I therefore readily agreed. Indeed, we have now agreed to a meeting at 1 Victoria Street, at which I hope to discuss these matters. One of the points that I sought to make in that reference to this rather remarkable American company, based on the information that it has been kind enough to give me, is that it has an approach to decommissioning and waste disposal that in some respects differs from that which has been seen to be the accepted norm in this country. It occurred to me that the firm was asking people to think out of the box. At my subsequent discussions with EnergySolutions, I believe that that is what it seeks to do. It has held discussions with various regulators in this country, which are ongoing. This matter suggested to me that the circumstance may arise when a company has set aside funds for decommissioning and its share of waste disposal—I shall come in a moment to the question of what is meant by ““its share””—and it appears subsequently that the funds that that company has set aside are considerably higher than will actually be necessary. Technology advances, and EnergySolutions believes that it is at the forefront of technological advance in this field. Indeed, it has made a number of innovative approaches to this whole issue. The noble Lord, Lord O’Neill, was quite right to interrupt me in my speech to say that this will be required not only to be subject to regulation in this country, which is right, but to go through the normal testing and contracting system. EnergySolutions already has a substantial contract with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for a number of the Magnox stations in the south of the country; so the company is not completely unknown to the authorities here. If I had been more accurate I would have tabled the amendment to Clause 46, which is the one where the Government can respond to a proposal to modify an approval. Clause 45 is where someone can approach the Government for a modification, and Clause 46 is the process to be applied when that happens. I therefore have a question for the noble Lord, Lord Jones—and I express our wish that he may be restored to health.