§ 7. Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the quantity of dangerous toxic nuclear fuel waste at present stored in the United Kingdom, or on the sea bed close to the shores, as a result of contracts undertaken by British Nuclear Fuels Limited on behalf of Japan; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BennOf the radioactive waste now stored at Windscale less than 2 per cent. is attributable to reprocessing work388W for Japan. No radioactive waste is stored on the sea bed close to United Kingdom shores.
§ 22. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will reconsider his proposals for reprocessing nuclear waste at Windscale in the light of recent evidence of dangers connected with the reprocessing and the export therefrom of enriched uranium to other countries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BennReprocessing at Windscale is subject to licence conditions imposed and enforced by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, which advises me that a very high degree of safety is achieved. Enriched uranium is not produced in reprocessing. Where reprocessing is carried out for foreign countries any plutonium recovered is only returned to the country of origin under appropriate safeguards to ensure its use for peaceful purposes.
§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Energy what safety procedures will operate to deal with the nuclear waste shortly to arrive from Japan.
§ Mr. BennConditions attached to the nuclear site licence granted to British Nuclear Fuels Limited by the Health and Safety Executive under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 require strict safety controls to be applied to the handling, processing and storage of all irradiated nuclear fuel received at Windscale. These conditions are enforced by the Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. Consignments of irradiated fuel from Japan constitute a small part of the total throughput of the Windscale plant.
§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate what discussions he has had with other EEC countries in dealing with the siting of nuclear waste.
§ Mr. BennThe discussions I have had with my EEC colleagues on radioactive waste management have not been directed at the specific issue of siting. The meeting of the Energy Council on 26th June, in which I participated, led to the adoption of the first five-year—1975–79—EEC indirect action research programme on radioactive waste management and storage 389W which we debated in this House on 17th April 1975. The stated aim of this programme is the joint development of a system of management of radioactive waste which affords man and his environment the best protection possible. The United Kingdom also participates in the Euratom Research Centre direct action programme on radioactive waste management and storage.
§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish details in the Official Report of all consignments of nuclear waste from abroad within the last two years.
§ Mr. EadieBritish Nuclear Fuels Limited does not receive consignments of nuclear waste as such. It receives irradiated fuel elements for reprocessing. Over the last two years 321 tonnes of irradiated fuel have been received for this purpose. The nuclear waste component, which is separated during reprocessing, is about 3 per cent. or nine tonnes. The distribution of reprocessing work between the nine countries involved was Japan 144 tonnes. Italy 112 tonnes. Switzerland 30 tonnes, Federal Republic of Germany 14 tonnes, Spain 11 tonnes, Sweden 5 tonnes, Canada two tonnes, the Netherlands two tonnes and Belgium one tonne. Of the fuel received from Italy and Japan, 215 tonnes was originally supplied by BNFL for the British designed reactor power stations in those countries.