Clause 82 - Expenditure on nuclear related matters
Energy Bill [Lords]
4:15 pm
Mr Michael Weir (Spokesperson (Environment & Food; Health; Rural Affairs; Trade & Industry); Angus, Scottish National Party)
My point follows on from that. I raised the matter earlier, but I am still waiting for an explanation of what the clause means, despite the Secretary of State's assurance on Second Reading that the Minister for Energy, E-Commerce and Postal Services would deal with that.
I am concerned that it appears to be envisaged that British Energy could sell one of its nuclear power stations to a third party, and I am not clear at what point it could do that. I appreciate that the restructuring of British Energy is ongoing, but I would like clarification. Is it envisaged that as part of that restructuring British Energy could sell some of its power stations to a third party or that it could be broken up into constituent parts that would then, in effect, become third parties?
It seems from the explanatory notes that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will have the power to acquire British Energy's shareholding in Nirex, and I wonder whether that is a clue to what is anticipated for Nirex. That was not made clear earlier, so will the Minister clarify it? Is it proposed that Nirex will be subsumed at some point by the NDA?