asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have anything to add to the Answer by Baroness Vadera to the first supplementary question on 19 March (Official Report, col. 252) about the proposed National Nuclear Laboratory and the process of tendering for the management contract. [HL2741]

I would like to clarify my Answer about the proposed National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). NNL is being set up with the intention of protecting the skills of Nexia Solutions, in particular with respect to decommissioning skills. Its major clients will be the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the site licence companies, including at Sellafield. BERR will finalise the business case for the NNL when it is clearer about the revenue stream from the Sellafield site licence company, whose research programme will have a significant impact on NNL's immediate revenue. The process for the contracting of the site licence for Sellafield is current. In the mean time, Nexia Solutions has been able to carry on providing its vital services to industry and the NDA without interruption. We anticipate the setting up of NNL as soon as the business case is agreed.