§ 2.48 p.m.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I have felt that your Lordships would wish me to make, in this House, a statement similar to that made on my behalf by the Minister of Works in another place yesterday with regard to the decision of the Government to set up a fast breeder reactor at Dounreay, in Caithness. The House will recall that in our debate on the Motion by the noble Viscount, Lord Falmouth, on December 14 last, I referred to the countless possible avenues of advance in atomic energy which should be open to us. I then said that one of the most important of these advances would certainly be a fast breeder reactor.
I am glad to be able to tell the House that a decision Las now been reached to construct this plant at Dounreay. An enterprise of this kind requires a large site of some hundreds of acres, in open country but within reach of a labour supply and the amenities of community life. It must be on tile coast, both for the discharge of effluent and to provide sea water for cooling; and it also needs a very large fresh water supply. Dounreay meets all these requirements better than any other site that has been found; and it has the further merit that development on this site should make a big 7 contribution to the economic welfare of this part of the Highlands. When in full operation the project is expected to provide employment for some 600 people, of whom about half will be recruited locally. The plant will, for safety, be housed in a large spherical steel shell. Even so, there is a very remote possibility of a slight leakage of radio-activity, in the event of a failure of certain parts of the plant. The local authorities have been consulted and arrangements are being made with their co-operation as to what should be done in this most unlikely event.
In a pioneer enterprise of this kind, it is, of course, never quite certain what new problems will be encountered. Nevertheless the Government have every hope that this fast reactor will show us the way to remarkable economies in uranium consumption, and that it will become the prototype of a kind of plant which will provide electricity in the next generation.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, noble Lords on these Benches are obliged to the noble Marquess for giving this House that statement, which has been made in another place. I do not think there is any useful contribution that I can make now. We can only hope that at some time man may be nearer to the justice and integrity of God to enable atomic energy to be successfully administered for the benefit of mankind.