Prospect, representing 6,000 scientists and engineers in BNFL, called for an early statement after press reports that the government plans to break up and sell off BNFL to the Bechtel Corporation and Lockheed Martin.

Dai Hudd, Prospect National Secretary, has written to Patricia Hewitt, Trade and Industry Secretary, calling for an urgent meeting to clarify the government’s policy.

"British Nuclear Group has just been through the biggest restructuring in its history. Speculation of this kind and on this scale is not only unhelpful, it is highly irresponsible.

"If the press stories are untrue, ministers should issue an unequivocal statement and say so. But the silence from No. 10 and DTI is deafening. Our members are wondering whether this whole issue has got lost in the bickering between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor."

The union is especially concerned at the potential involvement of Bechtel, the government’s advisor on setting up the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which is currently prohibited for two years from bidding for decommissioning work because it is privy to sensitive commercial-in-confidence information.

But if Bechtel were to bid for the British Nuclear Group in partnership with Lockheed Martin it would sidestep that hurdle. DTI would be expected to know about any Bechtel role, but Hudd said he feared it had been cut out of the loop by other Government departments.