§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received from the 365W French authorities about the malfunction of the nuclear reprocessing plant at Cap de la Hague on 16 April; in particular what hazards this implied for the residents of the Channel Islands; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanInformation has been received from the French authorities that a fire in the transformer system at Cap de la Hague nuclear reprocessing plant on 16 April interrupted electricity supplies and led to the temporary shut down of the plant.
I understand that electricity supplies were restored to the highly active fission product areas within three quarters of an hour, and to plant ventilation within two hours, that the consequent degree of contamination of plant was therefore extremely slight, and that the affected areas have since been decontaminated.
I also understand that there was no escape of radiation from the plant and consequently no hazard to people in France or the Channel Islands.