§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much plutonium, plutonium oxide or plutonium nitrate produced at the Sellafield reprocessing plant had been transported by air prior to December 1987; on what occasions; and whether to(a) overseas civil customers or (b) domestic civil customers.
§ Mr. Michael Spicer[holding answer 1 February 1988]: From May 1979 up to the end of December 1987, some 4.5 tonnes of plutonium oxide produced at Sellafield has been transported by air for civil purposes. Some 2.5 tonnes of this was despatched to Dounreay as mixed uranium-plutonium oxide for use in the fast reactor programme. The remainder was despatched overseas. Information relating to specific shipments is confidential for reasons of security and commercial sensitivity.