§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a statement concerning the type and weight of vehicles used to transport nuclear waste by road and the routes taken by these vehicles.
§ Mr. William RodgersNuclear waste as such is not currently transported but irradiated nuclear fuel—containing about 2–3 per cent. of waste fission products—is transported to Windscale for reprocessing. This fuel is transported in flasks designed to withstand very severe accidents and thus to render unnecessary other safety measures related to the nature of the fuel. Nearly all the flasks travel to and from Windscale by rail with only short-distance road hauls between power stations and the nearest rail link. The road vehicles used are heavy tractors and low-loader trailers which, together with the flask, weigh some 85–90 tons and are, therefore, subject to special restrictions on speed and to other requirements. The routes they follow are the quickest and most convenient.