Clause 55 - The Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Energy Bill [Lords]
3:30 pm
Mr Norman Baker (Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Lewes, Liberal Democrat)
This takes me back to the time I spent discussing such matters in relation to the Police Reform Act 2002. Clearly, there is some crossover between the proposed civil nuclear constabulary, the normal police forces and the Ministry of Defence police, some of whose duties might overlap. Can the Minister comment on subsection (2)(b), which gives the constabulary the duty to safeguard nuclear material in Great Britain and elsewhere? A number of issues arise from that, which I would like briefly to explore.
The first issue is that nuclear material may not simply be on licensed sites; it may, for example, be transported across the country by road, rail or air. Will the proposed constabulary have the authorisation to accompany nuclear material when it is being transported, and how will that power link in with that of British Transport police? Have British Transport police been consulted on this and is the Minister confident that there is no overlap of responsibility, or indeed potential duplication of effort, from those movements?
The second question relates to the work that might overlap with the MOD police. The Minister will be aware that the MOD keeps nuclear material on its sites, and the MOD police have their own regime under which they operate. Is it anticipated that the civil nuclear constabulary will safeguard nuclear material in Great Britain and elsewhere on MOD sites? I appreciate it is called a civil nuclear constabulary, but on the other hand the terms of subsection (2)(b) do not specify nuclear material that has arisen through the operation of civil nuclear facilities. Therefore, I take it to mean that that could apply to MOD material. Will he clarify that for me?
Thirdly, can the Minister clarify the purpose of the phrase ''and elsewhere'' in subsection (2)(b)? Is he suggesting that the civil nuclear constabulary will have authority to act outside the borders of Great Britain? That seems rather odd to me. Does that refer to British territories overseas, or does he anticipate some other purpose?