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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what grounds the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority decided to withdraw its appeal of Energysolutions EU Ltd v Nuclear Decommissioning Authority [2016] EWHC 1988 (TCC); and whether that decision was formally directed or sanctioned by the Government.

This decision was made by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and was a consequence of settling the EnergySolutions case. The NDA decided to settle as the costs – ultimately borne by the taxpayer – had the potential to rise much further had the case gone to trial. This decision was made with my consent as well as that of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the BEIS Accounting Officer.