SELLAFIELD INDEMNIFICATION AND PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT

That this House notes that when the Government decided to provide indemnification against insurance claims following a nuclear accident at the national Low Level Waste Repository for the new American management company, the then Minister for Energy published a Written Statement in the Official Report of 27 February 2008, and placed in the Library a copy of the associated departmental Minute; contrasts this open procedure with the decision, when a similar insurance indemnification was considered for the same private sector management company for Sellafield not to publish a Written Statement and that instead, the then Minister for Energy wrote privately on 14 July 2008 to the chairmen of two select committees enclosing a copy of the departmental Minute setting out the proposed insurance arrangements, stating that a copy of the Minute would be placed in the Library; further notes that this Minute arrived in the Library on 14 October 2008, more than 75 days after the period had officially closed for hon. Members to comment; believes it was unacceptable for the Minister for Energy to blame this failure on a civil servant when answering a debate in Westminster Hall on 19 November 2008; finds it further unacceptable, as revealed in a written parliamentary Answer on 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 2163, that the new US-led Parent Body Organisation for Sellafield is not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; believes that these developments are contrary to open and transparent Government; declines to approve the proposed indemnification arrangements; and calls on the Government to re-open the comment period.