§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received a copy of the report prepared by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. for Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd.; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [112567]
§ Mrs. LiddellI have not received a copy of the report. This is a matter between BNFL and Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance.
§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry If he will make a statement in respect of the supply of MOX fuel by BNFL to Germany. [112032]
§ Mrs. Liddell[holding answer 1 March 2000]: I understand that BNFL has reviewed all the records for quality assurance checks carried out on MOX fuel supplied to its German customer, Preussen Electra. In the case of the record for one of the pellet lots concerned, BNFL found that in 1996 a set of data collected from a secondary manual sample check of pellet diameter 465W measurements, which had already been confirmed as acceptable, was inadvertently deleted from a computer. The lost data were replaced with data collected from the same check carried out on a previous pellet lot. BNFL considers that all other secondary pellet diameter checks for MOX produced for its German customer have been properly carried out and recorded. The MOX supplied by BNFL has been operating satisfactorily in the reactor in Germany since 1997. The HSE states in its report that it is satisfied that the fuel manufactured in the MOX Demonstration Facility will be safe in use. This view is based on the robustness of the fuel manufacturing process and the totality of the checks made on the key parameters. However, BNFL's customer has decided to shut the unit down and replace the fuel assemblies concerned.