§ 6. Mr. David Chaytor (Bury, North) (Lab)If she will make a statement on the discovery of contaminated discharge pipes from Sellafield on beaches in Ulster. [143324]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Nigel Griffiths)I am informed that the report is not accurate, and no such items have been found in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ChaytorI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his reply. Regardless of the accuracy of the report, is it not the case that politicians in Northern Ireland, both Irish Governments and the Governments of Iceland, Denmark and Norway continue to complain about the impact of radioactive emissions in the Irish sea and the North sea? Is there any possible argument for continuing with the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, and should we not separate the issue of reprocessing from the wider debate about the role of nuclear power in our future energy supply?
§ Nigel GriffithsThere certainly is such a case. Our generation has an obligation to ensure the safe disposal of contaminated nuclear material produced by a previous generation. However, my hon. Friend makes a serious point, and as a member of the Environmental Audit Committee he takes a keen and informed interest in the matter. I have no wish to do anything that would spoil good relationships with our neighbours, but reports such as this, which are not founded on a shred of fact about anything reaching the beaches of Northern Ireland, can only fuel distrust between us as they are complete fiction. We take such reports seriously—it is important that perceptions of the treatment of any materials, whether contaminated or not, at Sellafield or elsewhere, are taken with the utmost seriousness and dealt with accordingly. I believe that we are doing so, but we must be ever vigilant.
§ Mr. Michael Weir (Angus) (SNP)Notwithstanding the Minister's answer, he will know that emissions from Sellafield are a long-standing worry in Scotland, Ireland and the north of Wales. He will also know that the nuclear industry has recently spent a great deal of money on slick advertising campaigns and lobbying on a future energy mix with the aim of assuring us that it is all safe. Will he tell the nuclear industry that that effort and money would be better spent cleaning up the mess at Sellafield?
§ Nigel GriffithsI visited Sellafield a short time ago, and I can tell the House that there is an impressive amount of work on the site and that responsibilities are taken seriously. Doubtless, BNFL will read the hon. Gentleman's comments in Hansard.