§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether Her Majesty's Government require nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom to be designed to withstand direct hits on the reactor core from all known aerial bombs and high-explosive missiles.
§ Mr. GoodladIt is not a formal requirement for nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom to be required to withstand bombardment from all known aerial bombs and high-explosive missiles. However the general safety requirement for protection against external hazards is such as to give a considerable degree of protection against weapons. The reactor core itself is extremely well-protected by steel and concrete structures but there is no guarantee that it would not be damaged by a nuclear weapon. As my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Slate at the Home Office explained to the House on 24 93W November 1982 at column 494 a direct hit by a nuclear weapon on a nuclear installation would cause no significant enhancement of blast, heat, or initial radiation.