§ Mr. Dempseyasked the Minister of Power how many licences he has issued for the installation and operation of 109W nuclear reactors for research and teaching purposes and of thermal output less than 100 kilowatts; and if he will make it a condition of the granting of a licence that competitive tender should be required.
§ Mr. GeorgeTwo licences under the Nuclear Installations (Licensing and Insurance) Act, 1959, have been issued for research and training reactors in this power range. A 10 kilowatt reactor was in operation by the Hawker-Siddeley Nuclear Power Company at Langley, Buckinghamshire, before the Act came into force and was licensed on 1st April, 1960. In May, 1960, a licence to install and operate a 10 kilowatt reactor at Silwood Park, Berkshire, was granted to the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London.
In addition, as my right hon. Friend said in answer to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. D. Price) on 4th November, he has approved the issue of a licence to Queen Mary College, University of London, to install a 10 kilowatt research reactor on a site in West Ham.
My right hon. Friend's responsibility under the Act is limited to safety considerations and the question of cover
Males Females All Ages 0- 5- 15- 45- 65 and over All Ages 0- 5- 15- 45- 65 and over 1950 … … 809 72 157 283 137 160 164 25 24 25 56 34 1951 … … 766 84 146 240 155 141 184 39 14 32 55 44 1952 … … 739 81 158 239 147 114 165 22 20 47 43 33 1953 … … 761 61 154 260 164 122 165 18 23 37 45 42 1954 … … 651 53 141 171 157 129 153 14 20 36 43 40 1955 … … 753 56 174 270 138 115 178 18 23 38 50 49 1956 … … 661 48 130 202 165 116 154 8 21 28 57 40 1957 … … 725 49 126 274 160 116 187 16 21 44 54 52 1958 … … 710 53 142 232 169 114 172 16 24 28 48 56 1959 … … 726 53 164 267 136 106 174 15 31 34 59 35 110W
I am informed that comparable figures for Scotland are available only for 1958 and 1959 and are as follows: Males Females All Ages 0- 5- 15- 45- 65 and over All Ages 0- 5- 15- 45- 65 and over 1958 … … 181 15 37 58 38 33 33 3 3 5 15 7 1959 … … 189 11 30 64 61 23 30 1 3 6 12 8 against liability in respect of emission of ionizing radiations. I understand, however, that as a condition of the award of grants to universities for projects of this kind, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research would require that contracts should be let as a result of competitive tender unless there are convincing reasons why this would not be practicable.