Uranium inquiry defends BHP hearing.


The federal inquiry looking into the sale of Australian uranium to China has defended allowing BHP Billiton to give evidence behind closed doors.
The Parliamentary Treaties Committee is sitting in Adelaide today.
With the proposed expansion of its Olympic Dam uranium mine, BHP Billiton would be a major beneficiary of uranium exports to China.
The committee's chairman, Liberal Andrew Southcott, says the company requested the private hearing.
"My view is you know we want as much information as possible and we don't always have private companies or companies coming before the committee," he said.
"Sometimes they're reluctant to come so I'm very happy to get the information and I'm very happy to hear from them."