§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, since radioactive wastes from nuclear facilities from the present programme have been provided in specially designed structures, for how many years it is expected that these will have to be isolated to prevent danger to humans and the environment.
§ Mr. EmeryA relatively small bulk of radioactive wastes arising from reprocessing of nuclear fuel will need to be stored under careful control for some hundreds of years. A fraction of this waste may need to be stored for an indefinite period.
The present arrangements are such as to provide permanent protection for the community.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in view of the expansion of the nuclear programme, what provision will have to be made to accommodate additional radioactive waste from power stations.
§ Mr. EmeryAn increase in the nuclear power programme will lead to a small increase in the volume of waste for storage. The cost of the extra storage after initial treatment would be small in relation to that of the programme as a whole, and storage would be provided by British Nuclear Fuels Limited.