Hinckley Point (Hansard, 21 January 1986)

§ Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will explain the circumstances in which potassium iodate tablets were taken by personnel at Hinckley Point nuclear power station of 29 November; what was the maximum level of individual exposures anticipated at that time; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what was the maximum individual effective dose equivalent commitment in milli-sieverts of any person as a result of the site incident at Hinckley Point nuclear power station on 29 November; and if he will make a statement;

(3) if he will list and describe the calculated total radioactive inventory of the gas, including any fissile particles and debris, released from reactor 3 at Hinckley Point nuclear power station during and subsequent to the site incident on 29 November; what was the calculated collective effective dose equivalent commitment in mansieverts arising from this incident; and what proportions were attributable to (a) personnel on the site and (b) members of the public outside the site;

(4) what were the quantities of carbon dioxide gas coolant released from reactor 3 at Hinckley Point nuclear power station during and subsequent to the site incident on 29 November (a) as an unfiltered escape and (b) as deliberate releases, stating the degree to which these were filtered to remove fissile particles and debris; and if he will list and describe the radioactive inventory of the gas in the reactor immediately prior to the incident;

(5) if he will estimate the approximate number of days in a year on which fissile products from damaged nuclear fuel elements are present in the carbon dioxide gas coolant of (a) a typical Magnox power reactor and (b) a typical advanced gas-cooled reactor; and if he will describe the typical length of delay before a damaged fuel element is withdrawn from a reactor;

(6) if he will publish a list showing, for each type of nuclear power reactor in commercial use, and for each type of nuclear fuel element, the typical rate of failure of fuel element integrity under normal operating conditions in a reactor;

(7) if he will estimate the approximate daily cost of reactor 3 at Hinckley Point nuclear power station being shut down following the site incident on 29 November; and if he will make a statement;

(8) what was the number of days in the last year on which fissile products from damaged nuclear fuel elements were present in the carbon dioxide gas coolant of each of the four reactors at Hinckley Point nuclear power station; and if he will make a statement;

(9) if he will describe the measures undertaken, in progress, or planned to inspect and test gas circulators on reactor 3 and reactor 4 at Hinckley Point nuclear power station following the site incident on 29 November, stating when such work is likely to be completed; if he will describe the precautionary measures taken before such inspection and testing is properly completed; and if he will make a statement;

(10) if he will describe the circumstances in which some minor fault or faults in a gas circulator on reactor 3 at Hinckley Point nuclear power station led to a site incident being declared on 29 November; and whether he is satisfied at present that reactors with such gas circulators are safe for continued operation.

100W