§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2000,Official Report, columns 487–88W, on nuclear materials, if he will set out, in each of the 20 cases of advance notification, the quantity and type of nuclear material, including its isotopic composition, involved; and if he will indicate for what reason nuclear materials from the unsafeguarded military stockpile were not used for the functions set out. [107267]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 27 January 2000]: As I indicated in my answer on 19 January 2000, Official Report, columns 487–88W, a study bringing together data on these and other withdrawals from safeguards is being conducted. More information on withdrawals from safeguards will be provided later in the year when that study has been completed.
The withdrawals described in my previous answer comprised small quantities of material for use in instrument calibration or radiation detectors, or as analytical tracers or radiological shielding. There are no facilities outside safeguards which manufacture material in such quantities and forms from the military stockpile. Defence establishment requirements for these commercially available specialist materials are currently met by purchase from civil operators.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many permanent withdrawals of nuclear material from safeguards have taken place since the Tripartite UK-Euratom-IAEA Voluntary Safeguards Agreement came into force; and to what purpose material permanently withdrawn was put. [107498]
§ Dr. HowellsAs I indicated in my answer on 19 January 2000,Official Report, columns 487–88W, a study bringing together data on these and other withdrawals from safeguards is being conducted. I expect to be able to provide more information on withdrawals from safeguards later in the year when that study has been completed.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to initiate negotiations with the European Commission, Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency towards the deletion of Article 14 of the Tripartite Safeguards Agreement of August 1978. [107500]
§ Dr. HowellsNo. Government policy on future withdrawals of nuclear material from safeguards was described in the White Paper published in July 1998 to announce the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2000,Official Report, column 487W, on nuclear materials safeguards, if he will set out (a) the number of facility attachments, (b) the number of particular safeguards provisions and (c) the material balance areas existing at each of the plants respectively from which nuclear materials were withdrawn from safeguards. [107512]
§ Dr. HowellsEuropean Commission particular safeguards provisions (PSPs) exist for the National Physical Laboratory, Nycomed Amersham, and RSL Equipment Ltd., but have yet to be finalised for UKAEA Harwell and Centronics Ltd. None of the plants has been534W designated by the IAEA for routine safeguards inspection under the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/263) and so no facility attachments exist for them. Disclosure of detailed information on nuclear material accountancy arrangements, including on Material Balance Areas (MBAs), would harm national security and would not be in the public interest.