§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek to obtain information on the number of inspections of nuclear plant which have been conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency in India and Pakistan, respectively, and the extent to which the two countries have disclosed intentions or preparations of production for non-peaceful purposes.
§ Mr. John MooreThe following installations have been under IAEA safeguards since the dates given in brackets. India; two power reactors (Tarapur 1971 and Rajasthan 1973), a fuel fabrication plant at Hyderabad (1972) and the Tarapur reprocessing plant (1981). Pakistan: the Kanupp power reactor at Karachi (1971), the PARR research reactor at Rawalpindi (1971) and a separate storage facility at Karachi (1979).
The precise frequency of inspection is a confidential matter between the IAEA and the country concerned, but I understand that the facilities listed are inspected several times a year. Neither India nor Pakistan has acceded to the NPT whereby they would formally renounce the option of developing nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Both countries have however repeatedly declared that their nuclear programmes are solely for peaceful purposes and that they have no intention of developing nuclear weapons.