HC Deb 22 July 2002 vol 389 cc776-7W
Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what budget she has allocated for 2002–03 to implement the G8 agreement on assistance to the Russian Federation with nuclear security and decommissioning. [69533]

Mr. Wilson

The Government initiated a £84 million programme to address the nuclear legacy in the Former Soviet Union in April 2001, and the budget for 2002–03 is £27.4 million. The programme is expected to support a wide range of nuclear legacy issues across the Former Soviet Union with much of the work undertaken in Russia associated with the decommissioning of nuclear submarines, plutonium disposition and the development of Non-weapons related employment in closed nuclear cities.

Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much financial support was granted to the Russian Federation for nuclear security and decommissioning, broken down by title of each individual project supported in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [69534]

Mr. Wilson

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 8 March 2002,Official Report, column 588W, in which I provided information on Government expenditure on decommissioning of nuclear installations and equipment in the Former Soviet Union.

The UK has provided support to countries of the Former Soviet Union through a Health and Safety Programme and the 'Nuclear Safety Programme' since the mid 1990s. However, there has been only one UK funded Russian Federation project associated with the decommissioning of RBMK reactors. This was in 1997–98 and UK contribution was (£30,000). There is a further £66,000 decommissioning project concerned with reactor sealing at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant of units but absence of a legal agreement covering liabilities, site access and tax issues which we are negotiating with the Russian Authorities is delaying its start up.

On security, the UK has assisted with the provision of a physical protection system for the icebreaker 'Sevmorpue in the Murmansk Shipping Company's atomic fleet. This was in 2001–02 and total cost to UK was £458K.

The UK (DTI) has also funded a range of activities with the Russian Federation both to help improve understanding of nuclear safeguards generally and also to improve arrangements for nuclear materials accountancy at specific Russian facilities. The programme has included nuclear safeguards and materials accountancy seminars and training courses for Russian regulators and facility operators (approximately £550k since 1993), and co-operative projects to improve nuclear materials accountancy arrangements at the Mayak RT-1 reprocessing plant (approximately £500k since 1994) and the Angarsk enrichment plant (approximately £110k since 1998).