§ Mr. ColmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures are in place to ensure that weapons-grade plutonium from magnox reactors is not used for military purposes.[140982]
§ Dr. HowellsAll the magnox reactors in the United Kingdom, with the exception of those at Chapelcross, are subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. These safeguards arrangements are designed to detect the diversion of nuclear material from its declared civil uses. The announcement of the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) in July 1998 included a commitment that all planned future reprocessing would be carried out under safeguards. All such reprocessing of irradiated magnox fuel, including that from Chapelcross, is therefore subject to the safeguards arrangements described above.
750W
§ Mr. ColmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantity of weapons-grade plutonium has originated in the UK's civil magnox reactors in each of the last 20 years. [140981]
§ Mr. ColmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason his Department has ceased publication of full records of plutonium production in civil reactors. [140983]
§ Mr. ByersI refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie), on 2 June 1998,Official Report, column 162W, and my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 24 June 1998, Official Report, column 499W.