§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report the advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom currently in service, the date on which each began to supply electricity to the grid, and the number of months since that date on which each has been out of action owing to malfunction, accident, refuelling, overhaul or for other reasons.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe CEGB has one AGR station, Hinckley Point B, currently in service. The first unit—Reactor 4 Set 8—was commissioned on 27 September 1976 and the second—Reactor 3 Set 7—on 2 October 1978. I am advised by the CEGB that since commissioning each unit has been out of operation for the following number of hours:
Reactor 3 Reactor 4 Planned outage 1,147 4,905 Unplanned outage 226 6,823 Power stations in Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements are being made for special communications or link line systems between each nuclear power station and the headquarters of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, and between each station and his own office, so that in the event of serious malfunction or breakdown any flood of calls on the normal telephone system will not hinder full information 258W flowing freely between the station, his Department and the authority.
§ Mr. Norman LamontConditions attached to nuclear site licences granted by the Health and Safety Executive have always required the licensees to maintain an effective communication system for use in any emergency. The communication system includes links which are independent of the normal public telephone system. Overloading of the normal telephone system would not interfere with the flow of essential information to and from my Department, the Health and Safety Executive and the other authorities and organisations which might be involved in an emergency. Similar arrangements exist for United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority sites.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the cause of the recent breakdown of the Dungeness nuclear reactor, and for how many months in the past three years this reactor has been out of service on account of malfunction, refuelling, overhaul, or for other reasons.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that Reactor 2 at Dungeness A nuclear power station was shut down on 19 June following the discovery of a leak of carbon dioxide coolant gas from a manhole cover joint on one of the gas circuits. These covers were removed for maintenance access during the recent biennial overhaul of the reactor and it is always a possibility that a remade joint may leak when a reactor is subsequently returned to service. The leakages did not involve any significant release of radioactivity and no one was harmed or placed at risk. Improvements to the manhole cover joint seals are now in hand to prevent a recurrence and the reactor will be returned to service when they are completed.
I am advised by the CEGB that during the last three years Reactor 2 has been out of service for 872 hours for unplanned outage and 6,279 hours for planned outage. The latter period includes the extended outage to carry out the detailed scrutiny and repairs referred to in my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Costain) on 21 May.—[Vol. 967, c. 19–20.]