§ Mr. D. Priceasked the Minister of Power what arrangements he has made to obtain independent advice on the safety of nuclear installations licensed under the Nuclear Installations (Licensing and Insurance) Act, 1959.
§ Mr. WoodMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have appointed a Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of Sir Alexander Fleck, K.B.E., F.R.S., to advise us on any matters affecting our functions in relation to safety under the Nuclear Installations (Licensing and Insurance) Act, 1959. The terms of reference and membership of the Committee are set out below.
Arrangements have been made to keep the Minister of Commerce for Northern Ireland, who has similar functions under the Act, informed of the Committee's proceedings. The Committee will also be available to advise the Minister of Commerce on any subject covered by its terms of reference that he may wish to refer to it.
The intention of Ministers to establish this Committee was announced by my noble Friend, Lord Mills during the Second Reading of the Nuclear Installations Bill, in another place, on 13th November, 1958. Lord Mills said that he thought such a Committee necessary for the time being because nuclear science and engineering were making rapid strides and the attendant problems of safety were continuously evolving with them. The responsible Minister must therefore be in touch all the time with the latest ideas about nuclear safety, so that when necessary he could put them into effect through the Nuclear 118W Installations Inspectorate The intention was that the composition of the Committee should be such that in matters of nuclear safety its views would be acknowledged as carrying the greatest weight.
The following are the terms of reference and membership of the Committee: