Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what further stages the UK's nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States has to pass before final ratification by both countries; and how long they estimate this process will take.
Answered by Lord Henley
The bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States of America was signed on 4 May 2018 and the text of the agreement was transmitted by the President of the United States to US Congress on 7 May 2018, initiating the ratification process.
Ratification in the US requires the agreement to remain in Congress for 90 joint sitting days, whereby the US Senate and House of Representatives both sit, and the consent of two-thirds of the US Senate. Congress also has the option of adopting either a joint resolution of approval, with or without conditions, or standalone legislation that could approve the agreement. UK officials have held detailed discussions with the US and both sides are satisfied that this process can be completed ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.
In the United Kingdom, the agreement will be presented to Parliament prior to ratification, in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, during the course of 2018.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement in the letter of 28 February from Lord Henley to Lord Carlile of Berriew, that "As part of these discussions, both sides have agreed that the UK will have sole responsibility for its international safeguards obligations from the date of withdrawal", whether the Office for Nuclear Regulation will be the UK's safeguarding authority from the date of the UK leaving Euratom rather than at the end of a transition period.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government is working closely with the European Commission to ensure a smooth implementation period for setting up an effective civil nuclear safeguards regime in the UK ready for withdrawal from Euratom. The precise nature of this implementation period, including the role of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR) in relation to nuclear safeguards during this period, is subject to negotiations with the European Commission.
Although the outcome of these negotiations is not yet known, the Government’s strategy is to seek to include Euratom in any implementation period, in line with the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 11 January 2018. Furthermore, the European Commission recently published its draft text for an implementation period which proposed that the period will cease at the end of December 2020 and will cover all parts of the Euratom acquis. We would expect this to include the Euratom safeguards regime.
Whatever the outcome of the negotiations on an implementation period for Euratom, the Government is confident that the ONR will be in a position to deliver civil nuclear safeguards to international standards on the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what new or modified information technology systems are required for the UK nuclear safeguarding authority to be approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency; and what are the estimated costs of developing those systems.
Answered by Lord Henley
To deliver a domestic safeguards regime, generally referred to as a State System of Accountancy for and Control of Nuclear Materials (SSAC), the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) plans to put in place a Safeguards Information Management and Reporting System (SIMRS). The SIMRS will enable the ONR to obtain and process the information necessary to ensure timely submission to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the reports required by any future safeguards agreements with the IAEA. The SIMRS will also enable submission of any specific reports required by supplier states as part of Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCAs).
ONR has estimated that it will cost £10 million to establish a UK SSAC and SIMRS is included as a part of this overall estimate. An initial tender opportunity in relation to the SIMRS is currently being advertised on the Government Digital Marketplace and responses to that tender will provide more certainty on estimated costs.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States in regard to their intended withdrawal from the Euratom Treaty; and what subjects were covered during those discussions.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department has had several discussions with officials from the United States on civil nuclear cooperation when the UK leaves Euratom, including a future Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with the United States.
Our aim is clear: we want to maintain continuity of our mutually successful civil nuclear co-operation with Euratom and international partners.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the International Atomic Energy Authority following, and in connection with, their decision to withdraw from the Euratom Treaty.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department engages regularly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to ensure that the UK continues to meet international standards for nuclear safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation. In addition, my officials have held discussions in London and Vienna with the IAEA to discuss the arrangements that need to be put in place ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government when they expect to have a UK safeguarding authority that is authorised and approved by the International Atomic Energy Authority to replace the responsibilities undertaken on the UK’s behalf by Euratom.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government announced in the Queen’s Speech its intention to introduce legislation to establish a domestic nuclear safeguards regime, to enable the UK to meet international safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation obligations after we leave Euratom. This primary and secondary legislation will provide the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) with the powers needed to take on the role and responsibilities required to meet our international safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation obligations. The ONR is taking its preparatory work forward as a top priority in parallel with the legislative programme.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government what negotiations they have undertaken with other members of Euratom to continue the work of the Joint European Torus project at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy after 2018; and what result they hope to achieve.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK continues to lead the world in fusion research [1]. We have taken action to secure the future of the Joint European Torus (JET) facility by guaranteeing the UK’s share of JET costs until the end of 2020.This underwriting of UK JET costs aims to provide the certainty needed to secure the extension of the JET contract and minimise the uncertainty around the future of this world class facility. The relevant Written Ministerial Statement can be found here:
[1] A 2016 independent review by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) found the UK fusion research programme to be ‘of world-class quality, in facilities, people and impact’.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 2 August (HL1221), given that Euratom is a separate legal entity from the European Union, whether they intend also to withdraw from the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and, if so, under what legal basis.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is assessing the legal and policy implications of the public’s vote to leave the EU. This includes assessing the implications for the UK’s membership of EURATOM.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Environment Agency is taking to ensure that decisions relating to the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme receive director-level attention and remain adequately staffed.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Implementation of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme remains an Environment Agency priority and there has been no change to the amount of resource assigned to this or to the level of oversight within the Agency.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the future of the Energy Technology List and the associated ability to claim Enhanced Capital Allowances.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Since its inception in 2001, the Energy Technology List has incentivised UK businesses to invest in highly efficient plant and machinery as part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme, which provides a cash-flow advantage for businesses. Going forward, the Government will work to ensure that the Energy Technology List continues to help deliver our business energy-efficiency policy ambitions effectively whilst providing good value for money for tax payers.