§ 6. Mr. Masonasked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science to what extent the Dounreay breeder reactor is behind schedule; how much this experiment has cost to date; what is the latest estimate of the total cost upon completion; and what is the estimated completion date.
§ Mr. Denzil FreethAs I said in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 28th February last year, construction of the Experimental Fast Breeder Reactor was completed during 1959. The final capital cost of the reactor and of its associated fuel element fabricating and re-processing plants was £12.5 million.
§ Mr. MasonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this experiment was stumbling from crisis to crisis and never having a complete run at all? What is wrong with the Atomic Energy Authority at the moment? It is spending far more money annually than ever before. We developed Zeta in a blaze of international publicity with relatively little success, and now we are having recurring trouble in Dounreay. What has gone wrong?
§ Mr. FreethI cannot debate the affairs of the Atomic Energy Authority in answer to Questions. I do not take the view that there is anything wrong with it. Dounreay is experimental equipment which, as is so often the case with experiments, ran from time to time into unforeseen difficulties. At present the delay in raising the power in the reactor to about 30 megawatts has been caused by the difficulty of reducing the oxide impurity in the coolant to the desired four parts per million.
§ Mr. NabarroIs there any relationship between the Dounreay reactor and the great delays which have occurred in the completion of the Hunterston nuclear power station of the South of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board? While at Question Time we would not expect my hon. Friend to endeavour to debate the whole of the affairs of the Atomic Energy Authority, may I ask whether he is not aware that there is grave apprehension concerning the finances and expenditure of the Authority? Could we not have a detailed statement on all these projects, on how far they are behind programme and what is the total expenditure envisaged?
§ Mr. FreethI should always be willing to debate in the House the affairs of the Atomic Energy Authority. Hunterston is not a responsibility of my noble Friend; the reactor type there is the Magnox reactor. Dounreay is a programme of experimentation with an entirely novel type of reactor, and we should not be unduly depressed by delays that have occurred. Certainly those who are working at Dounreay are not depressed.