Clause 12 - General duties when carrying out functions
Energy Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mr Laurence Robertson (Shadow Minister, Economic Affairs; Tewkesbury, Conservative)
We have heard the customary assertions by the hon. Member for Lewes on how the NDA will be running the entire nuclear generating industry in the near future. I do not subscribe to that, nor do I therefore see the need for amendments Nos. 152 and 96.
The hon. Gentleman was generous enough to say that he is half-minded to support my amendment No. 57. I am not sure whether I am half right or half wrong in that case. There is a duty, for the reason he gave rather than the reason I gave, to maximise income while a site is still productive, if only to reduce the cost to the taxpayer of the clean-up and the decommissioning. That should be a duty of the NDA.
As for the productive life of the site, it does not stray too far from the original purpose of the NDA to ask it to do that assessment. As we are still on clause 12 and we have to get to clause 83 by this afternoon, I will not press those issues to the vote. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Amendment made: No. 15, in
clause 12, page 10, line 18, at end insert—
'(3A) In the case of each designated installation, designated site or designated facility, it shall be the duty of the NDA, in carrying out its function by virtue of section 10(1)(e)—
(a) to have regard, in particular, to the extent to which the person with control of the installation, site or facility was doing anything falling within subsection (3B) prior to its designation; and
(b) to consider what obligations in relation to the doing of anything falling within that subsection should be imposed on any person with whom the NDA is proposing, in connection with the discharge of any of its responsibilities in relation to the installation, site or facility, to enter into a contract for that person to provide services.
(3B) What falls within this subsection is anything that is done for the purpose of giving encouragement and other support to—
(a) activities benefiting the social or economic life of communities living near the installation, site or facility; or
(b) activities producing other environmental benefits for those communities.
(3C) Where the NDA is proposing, in connection with the discharge of any of its responsibilities in relation to a designated installation, designated site or designated facility, to enter into a contract with any person for him to provide any services, it shall be the duty of the NDA, before entering into that contract—
(a) to require that person to produce his proposed strategy for the procurement of the goods and services that he will need to procure for the purpose of carrying out his obligations under the contract; and
(b) to consider the likely effect of the implementation of that strategy on the economic life of communities living near the installation, site or facility.'.—[Mr. Timms.]
Clause 12, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.