§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what discussions have taken place with the Health and Safety Commission about conveyance by air of plutonium oxide fuel;
(2) what is the comparative cost advantage of transporting plutonium oxide fuel by air as compared with rail or road;
(3) which airports in the United Kingdom have special facilities for the handling of plutonium oxide fuel;
(4) what special safeguards are required when plutonium oxide fuel is transported by air within the United Kingdom;
(5) what discussions have taken place about the conveyance of plutonium oxide fuel by air;
(6) what quantities of plutonium oxide fuel have been transported by air from Carlisle to Wick in the past 12 months.
§ Mr. EadieDuring the past fortnight, four consignments of fuel made from uranium and plutonium oxide have been moved by air from Carlisle to Wick. The material is in the form of fuel elements for the AEA's PFR at Dounreay which have been fabricated at the Windscale works in Cumbria. These are the first consignments of this fuel to be transported by air. The overall costs to BNFL of transport by rail, road or air are very similar.
No special airport facilities are required for moving such fuel, as the containers are trans-shipped direct from road transport to the aircraft. There have been no specific discussions with the Health and Safety Commission about these consignments, but all movements 464W are, of course, carried out under the strict national and international safety regulations governing the transport of radioactive materials. Arrangements for these, as for all movements of nuclear fuel, are made in consultation with the appropriate governmental agencies—in the United Kingdom, primarily the Department of Transport. The local police and airport authorities were also kept informed.