Plutonium

HC Deb 22 November 1994 vol 250 cc455-6

5. Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to counteract the risks from the increased volume of plutonium on world markets.

Mr. Rifkind

The Government are naturally concerned to ensure that plutonium is not misused. My Department is involved as'appropriate in Her Majesty's Government's stringent policies in this area.

Mrs. Campbell

Is not the Secretary of State being extraordinarily complacent about this matter? Is he aware that British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. has opened an office in South Korea and is prepared to offer plutonium to its Government? Does he consider that satisfactory, or is he taking measures to prevent it?

Mr. Rifkind

The hon. Lady should direct questions of that kind to the relevant Minister. I am happy to answer questions relating to the MOD's responsibilities, but I am not clear about why she chose to put that question to me.

Mr. Duncan Smith

I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend on his recent speech about the strengthening of the NATO alliance. As for the threat of the illegal transportation of plutonium, does he agree that it supports his view that what is required is to keep the United States heavily linked with us, not least to combat the illegal transfer of plutonium and the nuclear threat?

Mr. Rifkind

I very much agree. NATO recently identified the fact that work to combat the proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials must have increased priority. The combined forces of the United States and the European members of the Atlantic alliance are needed to ensure the maximum impact to achieve that particular objective.

Mr. Llew Smith

Is the Secretary of State aware that, if the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield is allowed to operate fully, following its accident in March, it will add 90,000 kg of plutonium to that already stored at Sellafield? That seems to me to be an open invitation to terrorists. When will the Government see sense and ban all trade in nuclear explosives such as plutonium?

Mr. Rifkind

I must give the hon. Gentleman the same answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell), who asked a comparable question, addressed to the wrong Department.

Mr. Brazier

Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that, although it is most important that we take every possible step to prevent the proliferation of plutonium and other fissile materials, the only way to protect our own population from those potential threats is to maintain our nuclear shield? It comes very ill from the Labour party to lecture us about proliferation when it wants to wind up our own nuclear defences.

Mr. Rifkind

It is, indeed, appropriate for my hon. Friend to remind the House and the country that a large number in the parliamentary Labour party, from the Leader of the Opposition down, either are or have been members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament—[Interruption.]—and it seems that most of them present today, if not the Leader of the Opposition, are still proud of that fact.