§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 16 March 1998,Official Report, columns 451–52 on Dounreay, by what means the Health and Safety Executive undertakes its regulatory role in respect of possible hazards to workers 108W and members of the public from work carried out on the site of Dounreay, with particular reference to the accumulation and storage of radioactive waste. [36142]
§ Mr. MacdonaldBefore anyone, other than the Crown, can use a site for the purpose of installing or operating a nuclear installation as defined in the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended) they must be in possession of a licence granted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Dounreay is such a site and a licence has been issued to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
The Nuclear Installations Act provides HSE with the power to attach conditions to a licence which are in the interests of safety. The Act also gives HSE the power to attach conditions which it sees fit with respect to the handling, treatment and disposal of nuclear matter. Through such conditions, HSE regulates the management of radioactive waste on licensed nuclear sites. This includes the generation of wastes, on-site storage of raw and treated wastes, on-site transport, waste processing and long term storage of waste and spent fuels, which are all integral parts of nuclear site operations licensed by HSE.