§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the average annual outage due to refuelling and to maintenance respectively of the following civil nuclear reactor systems : the Magnox, the advanced gas-cooled reactor, the high-temperature reactor, the steam generating heavy water reactor, the boiling water reactor, the pressurised water reactor and the fast breeder reactor.
§ Mr. EmeryOnly the Magnox system has operated commercially in this country and that system is refuelled on load.
Details of outages of CEGB and SSEB reactors for the years 1963 to 1972 were given by Mr. W. J. Prior of the CEGB in his paper "Experience of Commercial Operation" submitted to the 5th Foratom Congress in Florence this year and published by the British Nuclear Forum.
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§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how close to a major conurbation he would permit a power station for the CEGB to be built according to the following reactor systems : Magnox, AGR, HTR, SGHWR, BWR, PWR and fast breeder reactor, respectively.
§ Mr. EmeryThe Government adopted a cautious siting policy at the start of the nuclear power programme. But we required that the major contribution to public safety was to come from the high standards of design, construction and operation of nuclear plants. As a result of advances in technology and satisfactory experience in the design, construction and operation of gas cooled reactors, AGRs in prestressed concrete pressure vessels are now permitted on sites like those at Heysham and Hartlepool. Similar considerations will apply to the siting of any other reactor system adopted for commercial use in this country. Sites like those used for the earlier Magnox stations would be suitable for any reactor system I would licence and relaxation to sites nearer to centres of population would depend on relevant experience.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many turnkey contracts have been awarded for the construction of electricity generating power stations using a nuclear reactor system in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Western Europe, respectively, in the last 10 years ; and in how many cases in each category a loss has been admitted by the contractor.
§ Mr. EmeryIn the 10-year period 1963–73 contracts have been awarded in the United Kingdom for the construction of six nuclear electricity generating stations. All were turnkey contracts.
The construction companies provide annual reports and accounts in the usual manner. Five of the contracts—for advanced gas-cooled reactors—have yet to be completed. Information in the detail asked for on overseas contracts is not available.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advan- 406W tage he estimates a Westinghouse PWR nuclear power station would have for the Central Electricity Generating Board over any other alternative European system.
§ Mr. EmeryThe PWR is one of the reactor systems being examined by the NPAB as part of its work on thermal reactor choice. It has not yet made any recommendation on this subject. As I have made clear, we hope to reach decisions in the early part of next year.