§ Lord MELCHETTasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it would be possible for spent nuclear fuel rods from British military or civilian sources to be dumped in international waters without Government authorisation, and whether they are aware of any such dumping ever taking place.
§ Lord SANDYSIt is illegal to dump any nuclear wastes from British sources in national or international waters without the appropriate authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 and the Dumping at Sea Act 1974, except for wastes from establishments enjoying Crown exemption; these establishments, however, apply equally rigorous disposal standards.
The Government are not aware of any spent nuclear fuel rods from British civilian or military sources having been dumped at sea and, indeed, the accounting procedures operated should exclude the possibility of any such dumping without the knowledge of the Government.
§ Lord MELCHETTasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any British Government has ever authorised the dumping of spent nuclear fuel rods at sea, and, if so, whether they will state the dates of any such dumping, specifying whether the fuel rods were from civilian or 1579WA military sources, and the location of any such dumping.
§ Lord SANDYSThe present Government have never authorised the dumping of spent nuclear fuel rods at sea nor, I understand, have any previous Government.