Energy Act 2004

Energy Act 2004

2004 CHAPTER 20

Commentary on Sections

Chapter 2: Transfers Relating to Nuclear Undertakings

Section 41: Recovery of property from private ownership

158. Section 41 provides for the recovery by transfer scheme of shares in, and the property, rights and liabilities of, a site licensee company which, for the duration of its contract, is legally owned by a managing contractor appointed by the NDA. It reflects the fact that site licensee companies will be, de facto, assets of the NDA and the primary means by which it discharges its responsibilities. It is therefore essential that the NDA should be able to recover ownership of a company (and any associated assets etc., including new shares issued and new property acquired by the site licensee company) when a managing contractor is in breach of contract or a management contract comes to an end or is terminated.

159. Subsections (2) to (8) provide for the making of a scheme to transfer the ownership of the site licensee company and associated property, rights and liabilities, either to the NDA itself, a publicly owned company, or to a consenting contractor. When a contract comes to an end, the expectation is that these assets will be transferred on to a new managing contractor and held by it for the duration of its contract with the NDA. However, where a contract is terminated at short notice, either because of the failure of the managing contractor or because it is in breach of contract terms, it may be necessary for the NDA to manage the site licensee company itself or via a new public sector company until a new contractor is appointed. Section 41 permits the recovery of securities, property, rights and liabilities from persons other than the original management contractor and its subsidiaries. However, where there is recovery of securities, property, rights and liabilities from such a person, paragraph 12 of Schedule 5 provides for compensation. Paragraph 12 does not provide for compensation to management contractors, because such persons will have contracts with the NDA. Those contracts will be negotiated against the backdrop of section 41, and the rights of the management contractors (including any rights to compensation) may be provided for in the contracts.