Atomic Energy Bill (Lords)

The main purpose of the Bill is to raise the financial limit imposed on BNFL from Pound 1,500 million to Pound 2000 million. Other clauses deal with the costs of nuclear safety research, technical amendments to the rules on insurance cover for third party compensation claims in the event of a nuclear incident. Clause 5 makes the necessary changes to enable the United Kingdom to ratify the international convention on assistance in the case of a nuclear incident (mutual assistance convention). The debate, which lasted over 2 hours and is reported verbatim, was mainly about BNFL funding and the increased cost of building the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield. However the general problems of radioactive waste disposal, reprocessing, the privatisation of the electricity supply industry and the disposal of nuclear submarines were also discussed. (U.K.)