HC Deb 26 January 1989 vol 145 cc696-7W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on plutonium, 9 December 1988,Official Report, column 373, by whom the plutonium content is calculated, to what accuracy, and under what safeguards requirements.

Mr. Michael Spicer

The operators make the calculations. The accuracy of the estimates depends on the accuracy of estimating the heat output of the reactors and the accuracy of the isotopic data used. The calculated plutonium content of all fuel despatched from the stations is reported to the safeguards authorities.

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy. pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport. West (Mr. Flynn) on 8 December 1988,Official Report, column 329, on the physical verification of plutonium by the European Atomic Energy Authority at Sellafield. if he will make a statement on the number of occasions when the European Atomic Energy Authority has carried out the inspections to which he refers in the reply of 4 June 1988, Official Report, columns 594–95 in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Mr. Michael Spicer

Civil nuclear material is under the continuous inspection regime of Euratom.

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