Plutonium (Hansard, 10 June 1997)

§ Mr. Matthew Taylor
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what provision has been set aside in the accounts of Magnox Electric for the long term management of the United Kingdom plutonium inventory. [1792]

§ Mr. Battle
Magnox Electric makes provisions in its accounts for the long term (100 years) storage and subsequent retrieval of all plutonium arising from the reprocessing of its spent magnox fuel. The current provision is some £200 million (3 per cent. discounted net present value).

§ Mr. Taylor
To ask the President of the Board of Trade over what time scale it is planned to use plutonium fuel in Magnox reactors. [1793]

§ Mr. Battle
Magnox Electric plc has no plans to use plutonium or MOX fuel in its magnox reactors.

§ Mr. Taylor
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial responsibility for the plutonium stockpiles arising from the reprocessing of advanced gas reactor fuel is borne by public funds. [1794]

§ Mr. Battle
Financial responsibility for the plutonium expected to arise from the reprocessing of AGR fuel rests with utilities in the private sector with the exception of a small amount, less than 1 per cent. arising from the Windscale AGR at Sellafield.