§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on future nuclear reprocessing capacity in the United Kingdom; what estimate she has for the volume of nuclear(a) storage and (b) reprocessing capacity that will be required over the next 30 years; how much of this capacity is currently available; how much additional capacity by type she estimates will need to be built in the United Kingdom; what estimate she has made of the (i) cost of such additional capacity and (ii) the amount of non-UK nuclear waste that will be (A) reprocessed and (B) stored in the United Kingdom over the next 30 years; and if she will make a statement. [6758]
§ Mr. WilsonThe Department has made no estimate of storage and reprocessing capacity as Government policy is that the decision to reprocess spent nuclear fuel or to1164W seek alternative spent fuel management options is a matter for the commercial judgment of its owners, subject to meeting the necessary regulatory requirements.
Since 1976 reprocessing contracts with overseas customers have included a provision to return the resulting wastes back to the country of origin. Government policy remains that radioactive waste arising from overseas should not be stored in the UK. The amounts of overseas spent fuel reprocessed in the UK will depend on commercial arrangements between BNFL and its customers.