§ Mr. Viggersasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is Her Majesty's Government's current estimate of the date upon which a fast breeder reactor programme will show a net economic benefit to the United Kingdom including the writing-off in real terms of all research and development costs;
(2) what is Her Majesty's Government's current estimate of the date of ordering of the first fast breeder reactor; and what is the expected date of commissioning and the current estimate of cost;
(3) what is his current estimate of the cost of research and development of the fast breeder reactor programme, including operation of the prototype reactor, until such time that it is confirmed as being operationally viable.
§ Mr. EadieThe United Kingdom organisations concerned are currently considering how best to carry the fast reactor forward, now that the prototype at Dounreay is largely completed. The prospects for international co-operation are an important factor. The significance of the fast reactor is that it uses uranium much more efficiently than thermal systems. But the date when a programme would yield an overall net benefit to the United Kingdom cannot be forecast. There are inevitably many uncertain factors.
§ Mr. Viggersasked the Secretary of State for Energy what part in Her Majesty's Government's policy for the provision of electricity supplies in each of the next 10-year periods to 2025 is played by the liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor.
§ Mr. EadieIt is not possible at this stage to say what role the fast breeder reactor will play. The view of the Nuclear Power Advisory Board was that we cannot expect a large scale programme of orders on a fully commercial basis before the late 1980s, or perhaps later.
§ Mr. Viggersasked the Secretary of State for Energy if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy that no large progrwmme of fast breeder reactors will be 342W embarked upon until a single reactor of commercial size together with its associated fuel reprocessing and fabrication plants has been built and commissioned and operated satisfactorily.
§ Mr. EadieDecisions on large-scale ordering of fast reactors will not be needed for some years to come. Knowledge and experience of the various aspects of the system will be of importance for such decisions.
§ Mr. Viggersasked the Secretary of State for Energy if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy that a prototype fast breeder reactor will be operated on a commercially viable basis as part of the Central Electricity Generating Board grid system.
§ Mr. EadieThe prototype fast reactor at Dounreay is operated by the Atomic Energy Authority as part of a programme of underlying research and development. Subject to this, and to the demonstration of its performance as a power producer, it is the policy of the authority to sell electricity to the public supply system to the maximum possible extent.