HC Deb 17 April 1962 vol 658 cc33-4W
52. Mr. E. Wainwright

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the names of the universities who have now commenced to build low-power nuclear reactors; and if he will state the names of the universities who have been refused a grant to enable them to build such reactors.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

One low-power nuclear reactor is being built for the use of the Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow, all the Scottish universities and the Queens University, Belfast. The Government have agreed in principle to make grants for the provision of two further reactors, one in Lancashire and the other in the London area. A request for grant for a second reactor at London University has been deferred, and several other universities which made preliminary enquiries have been told that there is no early prospect of grants being made.

54. Mr. Mitchison

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what are the total amounts of the grants proposed to be made to universities for building low-power nuclear reactors; and what estimate he has made of the approximate cost of additional low-power nuclear reactors located respectively in the London area and the Birmingham area.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

A grant of up to £255,000 has been made to the Scottish Universities for building a low-power nuclear reactor. I hope that two further grants totalling over £500,000 towards the cost of two reactors, one for London University and one for Manchester and Liverpool Universities will be announced later this year. The capital cost of the proposal to provide a second reactor in London was of the order of £250,000. No costed proposal has been received from Birmingham University.