§ 4. Mr. Ridleyasked the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science, as representing the Minister of Technology, what contracts the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has obtained from abroad for the reprocessing of uranium fuels.
§ Mr. BoydenThe Atomic Energy Authority has so far obtained seven contracts for reprocessing uranium fuels from material testing and experimental reactors in Australia, Denmark, West Germany, India and France, and from the Latina nuclear power station in Italy.
§ Mr. RidleyWould not the hon. Gentleman agree that this is a most valuable form of export earnings and one which is likely to increase in the future? Will he give an assurance to the House that nothing the Minister does in the defence field is likely to affect our capacity to undertake these reprocessing contracts?
§ Mr. BoydenThe Atomic Energy Authority is determined to exploit to the maximum possible extent the commercial advantages of the new plant at Wind-scale, which is the largest commercial reprocessing plant in the world, and that will contribute to what the hon. Gentleman has in mind.