BNFL boss is new Kidde

Norman Askew, who quit last week as chief executive of the nuclear power company BNFL, will tomorrow be unveiled as chairman of Kidde, the home security group.

He will replace Sir Nigel Rudd, who has come under attack for being chairman of three public companies, Kidde, Pilkington and Pendragon. The Higgs Report on corporate governance recommends that chairmen of one public company take on no other chairmanships.

Sir Nigel's departure is understood not to have been influenced by Higgs, having been set in train six months ago. He will stay on to the end of the year and Mr Askew will be deputy chairman until then.

However, Mr Askew's own sudden departure from the state-owned BNFL is influenced by the Higgs proposals. He is understood to have wanted to stand down as chief executive but stay on as chairman, replacing Hugh Collum.

But the Department of Trade and Industry thought such a change would give the wrong signals, as Higgs recommends that chief executives do not move on to being chairman of the same group.

Mr Askew had been chief executive of BNFL for three years, having taken control at a difficult time. The group had been criticised for "systematic management failures" after problems with shipments of reprocessed nuclear fuel. Mr Askew is credited with restoring some stability to the group, which owns Sellafield as well as a portfolio of ageing power stations.

However, the nuclear industry has been thrown into tumult by the problems of British Energy. BNFL has lost out because British Energy cut the price it paid for reprocessing contracts.

Sir Nigel and Mr Askew are old friends, having worked together at East Midlands Electricity.