§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent information his Department has received about the consequences of a possible accident between a nuclear weapons convoy and a petrochemical transporter on the M25, M1, M6, M4 or A 1; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNuclear weapons are transported by road only in specialised military vehicles and are always carried in containers that are designed and tested to resist the effects of severe impact and prolonged fuel fire, such as could occur in the situation mentioned. A fire tender always accompanies nuclear weapon convoys. The recent review of nuclear weapon safety conducted by my Department's chief scientific adviser confirmed that these arrangements
give a high degree of confidence in the safety and security of the load even in the case of a severe accident",and confirmed that internal containment and protection are satisfactory. A copy of this review is in the Library of the House.