asked the Minister for Energy under the joint protocol relating to the application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention for international compensation for nuclear damage the limitations which apply to the British Nuclear Industries' liability in amount and in time from an accident; and whether he has satisfied himself regarding the operation of this Convention in respect of land-based nuclear installations that are located close to Ireland.
Written Answers. - Convention on Compensation for Nuclear Damage.
37.
This country has not acceded to either the Paris or Vienna Conventions and would not at present be able to claim under the liability provisions specified in them or in implementing statutes in those countries which have acceded to them. The Conventions themselves and the question of acceding to either or both of them are extremely complex and both matters are under active examination by my Department in consultation with the Attorney General's Office.
The limitations which apply to individual British nuclear installations are set out in the UK Nuclear Installations Act, 1965 as amended. My information is that the maximum prescribed compensation for a UK occurrence causing damage is £20 million sterling with a time limit for claims of 30 years. The time limit is reduced to 20 years if the occurrence involved nuclear matter which was stolen, lost, jettisoned or abandoned. The Brussels Convention 1963 which is supplementary to the Paris Convention provides that the member state concerned will provide additional compensation up to a maximum of 175 million Special Drawing Rights and that the members collectively will provide a further 125 million Special Drawing Rights. The UK is a party to this Convention.
None of the various Conventions which exist are ideal from our point of view and I would have to be satisfied that adherence to them, despite their short-comings, is in the long-term national interest before recommending accession.