§ 45. Mr. Chetwyndasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the defects in the British type of reactors which have been criticised at the Tokio Atomic Energy Conference, details of which have been sent to him; and, in view of the effect of such criticism on potential customers, what action he is taking to counteract these statements
§ 47. Wing Commander Bullusasked the Prime Minister, in view of the recent criticisms of defects in the British type of reactor, what action he proposes to take to counteract the effect of such criticism on this country's overseas trade.
§ The Paymaster-General:I have been asked to reply.I have received reports of remarks made about the Calder Hall type of reactor at a conference in Tokio, organised jointly by the American and Japanese Atomic Energy Forum which are organisations of industrial firms concerned with atomic energy. The reactors at Calder Hall have gone into operation more smoothly and with far less trouble than is normally experienced in starting up a conventional power plant; and the reactor system continues to show great potentialities for further development. We shall be glad to show any customers both the limitations and potentialities of Calder Hall, which is the only nuclear power station in the world producing electricity on an industrial scale.
The best answer to criticism is to show what we have already achieved—and the critics have not.