OSPAR (Hansard, 25 June 2003)

§ Mr. McGrady
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times OSPAR Radioactive Substances Committee met between the OSPAR Conference in Sintra in July 1998 and 31 May 2003; how many reports the Committee published; what the subject matters addressed by the Committee were; and if he will make a statement. [120113]

§ Mr. Morley
The Radioactive Substances Committee (formally the Working Group on Radioactive Substances) has met on six occasions since the OSPAR Conference in Sintra in July 1998 to discuss matters relating to the implementation of the OSPAR Strategy for Radioactive Substances. Copies of the Summary Records of the RSC meetings are available on the OSPAR website at: www.ospar.org The Committee has published eight reports since 1998, as followsLiquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1996. ISBN 0 946955 85 9, published 1998; Summary of the Report on Sources, Inputs and Temporal Trends on Radioactive Discharges from Nuclear Installations for the years 1989 to 1995. ISBN number as above, published 1998; Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1997. ISBN 0 946955 91 3, published 1999: 771W Summary of the Reports Submitted in the Second Round of Implementation Reporting in Accordance with PARCOM Recommendation 91/4. ISBN number as above, published 1999; Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1998. ISBN 0 946955 97 2, published 2001; Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 1999. ISBN 0 946956 63 4, published 2001; Liquid Discharges from Nuclear Installations in 2000. ISBN 0 946956 91 X, published 2002; and Discharges of Radioactive Substances into the Maritime Area by Non-nuclear Industry. ISBN 0 946956 90 1, published 2002.

§ Mr. McGrady
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why OSPAR's Radioactive Substances Committee was unable in February 2003 to reach agreement on the baseline for discharges of radioactive waste from the Sellafield Nuclear Re-processing Plant into the Irish Sea; and if she will make a statement. [120114]

§ Mr. Morley
The establishment of a baseline in relation to the OSPAR Strategy for radioactive substances covers radioactive discharges from all nuclear and non-nuclear sources into the marine environment, concentrations in the marine environment and resulting doses to members of the public. Broad agreement has already been reached by the Radioactive Substances Committee on the methodology for establishing a baseline, including the principle that it should use annual values averaged over a period of several years. I am confident that agreement can be reached at the forthcoming OSPAR meeting in Bremen on the spread of years this period should cover.

§ Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the United Kingdom policies on radioactive discharges that will be put to the OSPAR ministerial meeting in Bremen; and if she will place in the Library copies of documents being submitted by the UK to the OSPAR meeting. [120786]

§ Mr. Morley
Radioactive substances is one of a number of issues being considered at the OSPAR Commission meeting in Bremen from 23 to 27 June. There will be a Ministerial session on 25 and 26 June.
The meeting will consider the progress made in implementing the commitments agreed at the last ministerial meeting in 1998. All Contracting Parties have submitted national reports to the OSPAR Commission. The United Kingdom's report—the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001–2002—was published in July 2002. Copies were placed in the Library at the time.