§ 3.6 p.m.
§ Lord Hatch of Lusby asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ How many nuclear-powered hunter-killer and Polaris submarines have been withdrawn from duties or recalled as a result of the discovery of faults.
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, none of the Royal Navy's nuclear powered submarines has been recalled from operational tasks. Following the recent discovery of a technical defect in one of them, however, all these vessels are being inspected as a precautionary measure when they come alongside.
§ Lord Hatch of LusbyMy Lords, is it the case that nine Royal Navy nuclear powered submarines, probably including Polaris, have been found to have cracks in their nuclear reactor cooling circuits? Is the noble Lord aware that there is considerable public concern both for the safety of the crews of these submarines and for the safety of the local populations when the submarines put into port?
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, the defect was discovered during a refit of one submarine. There has been no accident or injury to anyone. The inspection of other boats is simply a prudent precaution since the defect has potential safety implications.
§ Lord Graham of EdmontonMy Lords, given the difficulty in identifying faults, does the noble Lord agree that it is a matter of grave concern that the submarines remain at sea when their safety cannot be guaranteed? Will he take on board what my noble friend has said regarding the concern not only for the crews and maintenance staff, but also for the people who live in and around the naval dock areas? Surely as a matter of urgency the ships ought not to await their normal call but should be recalled so that everyone concerned, including the civilian population, is assured about safety?
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, I can assure noble Lords that the Government attach the highest priority to nuclear safety. The inspections are part of that policy and the ministry is acting in close consultation with its independent technical and safety advisers.
§ Lord MayhewMy Lords, can the noble Lord confirm that these submarines, and in particular the Polaris fleet, have a marvellous record of reliability? Does he agree that in the present circumstances there is plainly a case for maintaining our nuclear capability?
§ Lord Hatch of LusbyMy Lords, has the Minister read the book Submarine versus Submarine by Commander Richard Compton Hall, MBE, RN? The relevance of my question is contained in this passage:
A total coolant failure in any nuclear plant is disastrous and inevitably leads to the melt down of the core. Western submariners are absolutely certain that these safety devices and back-up systems will never allow this to happen. The Russians said the same until Chernobyl".
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, I can only repeat that this is a precautionary measure. There has been no accident or injury to anyone. The boats are being called in to be inspected alongside.
§ Lord Hatch of LusbyMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we are concerned not about whether there has been an accident, but whether in the future the faults which the noble Lord has admitted have been discovered could cause an accident, resulting in injury and danger both to the crews and to the populations around the ports where they are to be investigated?