SELLAFIELD MANAGEMENT

That this House notes with alarm the Public Accounts Committee conclusions that cash estimates for nuclear waste at Sellafield exceed £70 billion, time-scales have slipped and reprocessing targets have been missed; believes that these enormous costs need to be strictly controlled so payments are not made to constitute a reward for failure; recalls that when the contract was awarded, Ministers were questioned on the probity of such huge sums being awarded without parliamentary scrutiny; further recalls EDM 2321 observing the agreement would privatise the profits of the contract leaving the potentially multi-billion pound liabilities with taxpayers; and now invites current Ministers to explain why Nuclear Management Partners have made such a pig's ear of the task of managing Sellafield safely and within budget.