Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) purchasing Euratom equipment and (b) decommissioning Euratom-owned equipment and purchasing new equipment to establish a UK safeguards regime.

The UK Government is committed to having all necessary safeguards equipment in place to ensure continuity of safeguards operations and that the UK continues to comply with its international obligations when the UK leaves the EU and Euratom. As part of this, consideration is being given to the possibility of the UK taking ownership of existing Euratom-owned equipment, as set out in the EU27 and the UK position papers published in July 2017. As the subject of on-going negotiations, it is not possible to share the details or cost estimates of this consideration; but the UK has been clear that the decision will need to be rooted in a common understanding of the fair value and liabilities of the equipment concerned.