§ Mr. Sandelsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, following his statement of 22nd December, if he is yet in a position to call in the planning application by British Nuclear Fuels Limited for an oxide fuel reprocessing plant at Windscale.
§ Mr. ShoreBritish Nuclear Fuels Ltd. has now made and advertised an application for this purpose. I intend to direct that it be referred to me for determination when the 21-day period allowed for representations to the local planning authority is up.
When I have called the application in Mr. Justice Parker will be appointed to hold a public local inquiry into it with the assistance of Sir Edward Pochin, CBE, MA, MD, FRCP, and Professor Sir Frederick Warner, FRS, as assessors. Details of the date, time and place of the inquiry will be announced as soon as possible but my aim is for it to open in Cumbria in mid-June. I hope that this early notice will be of assistance to those who wish to attend and give evidence.