§ 28. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Technology if he will set up a public inquiry into circumstances which have led to the delay of one year in the completion of the new prototype fast reactor at Dounreay, with special reference to work of the engineers employed there and including an assessment of the extent of the consequential loss in money and production to the economy.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuNo. The delay is due to technical difficulties in the fabrication of the radiation shield roof. These difficulties do not concern the fast reactor system as such but only the constructional engineering involved in this one project. Contractors' engineers, and to a certain extent Authority design engineers, have been involved in the technical difficulties, but not A.E.A. engineers permanently based at Dounreay.