To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Barbara Thomas Judge to undertake her functions as Chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. (155375)

[holding answer 17 September 2007]: Lady Thomas Judge keeps BERR officials fully up to date with her non-executive, advisory and charity roles and provides a breakdown of the time involved. Ministers are briefed as appropriate and my right hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton) was most recently given advice in July soon after he became Secretary of State.

We continue to be fully satisfied that Lady Thomas Judge is performing the role of UKAEA chair highly effectively and with full dedication. As such the UK taxpayer is being well served and gets considerably more than the two days per week for which Lady Thomas Judge is contracted.