§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he has received since May 1997 from(a) the Environment Agency and (b) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, concerning interception of illegally imported radioactively contaminated metals; and what arrangements are in place to stop the recycling of imported contaminated metals. [66430]
§ Mr. MealeReports of such incidents are received from the Radioactive Substances Sub-Group of the UK Interpol Environment Crime Group. Since April 1997 we have received information about 5 incidents involving the interception of illegally imported radioactive contaminated metals.
Imports of radioactively contaminated materials into the UK are regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland, under the Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regulations 1993 and Council Regulation 1493/93 on shipments of radioactive substances between Member States. The reuse or recycling of such materials is regulated by EA and SEPA under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993.