HL Deb 05 February 1980 vol 404 cc1160-1

2.51 p.m.

Lord INGLEWOOD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied that the standard of construction of nuclear installations, and in particular those in West Cumberland, are capable of standing up to earth tremors on the scale of those recently experienced in the Solway area, without health risk to the local population.

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EMPLOYMENT (The Earl of Gowrie)

My Lords, the recent earthquake created no damage to any nuclear installation in this country. Well-built structures, such as those of nuclear installations, are able to withstand safety intensities at the levels of any earthquake likely to be experienced in the United Kingdom.

Lord INGLEWOOD

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for that reply, which will help allay misgivings in the county and will be very gratefully received.

Lord HYLTON

My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that the nuclear power stations at Torness and Heysham, which are now under construction, have anti-earthquake devices incorporated in them? Does that not show that the authorities have had a change of mind and are incorporating safety precautions which were not previously thought necessary, and can he tell us why this is so?

The Earl of GOWRIE

My Lords, while the risks of significant damage to nuclear plants from earthquakes in the United Kingdom are, as I indicated earlier, acceptably small, in the light of increased knowledge of seismic activity worldwide and with advances in technology, it is practicable to include design features which provide protection against ground motions of much higher intensity than those experienced in the United Kingdom or regions elsewhere. New nuclear installations in this country are therefore being built to meet safety criteria which set the appropriate level of protection against such ground motions.