§ Lord Williams of Elvelasked Her Majesty's Government:
What have been the total amounts in (a) current prices and (h) historic prices of the Government's investment programme in radioactive waste management since 1954; and through which departmental budgets have these sums been allocated.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (The Earl of Caithness)Capital expenditure on major radioactive waste management facilities for the period since 1986/87, funded through the Department of Energy vote, is as follows (actual costs):
£million 1986–87 3.7 1987–88 6.5 1988–89 (estimate) 8.0 Information on radioactive waste management research expenditure for each government department from 1979/80 onwards, is set out in the annual reports of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committees, copies of which have been placed in the Library. Expenditure for earlier years is not readily available, and could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.