§ 8. Sir I. Fraserasked the Paymaster-General whether a decision has yet been reached on the siting of new atomic power plants; and what safeguards he has in mind to preserve the amenities of the countryside.
§ Mr. MaudlingMy hon. Friend will be aware of the Government decision that, for the present, nuclear power stations should be sited away from centres of population, and I cannot yet say how long it will be before sufficient experience has been gained to enable this decision to be reconsidered. Meanwhile, my noble Friend will continue to do everything possible to avoid any unnecessary damage to the amenities of the countryside.
§ Sir I. FraserWill my right hon. Friend and his noble Friend bear in mind the great beauty of the Lake District and do what they can to avoid despoiling it in any way?
§ Mr. MaudlingMost certainly. I have recently visited the Central Electricity Authority and seen something of the way in which it sets about preserving the amenities of the country as far as possible. I am very impressed by the care with which it goes into these matters.
§ Mr. SnowWill the right hon. Gentleman ensure that when local inquiries take place, witnesses provided by the Ministry of Power will be able to answer questions affecting other Ministries involved in such matters as have been raised by the hon. Baronet the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser), in sharp contradistinction to what happened at the Bradwell inquiry?
§ Mr. MaudlingI have not heard such complaints about that inquiry, but if the hon. Member will send me details I shall be glad to look into them.