§ Mr. Delwyn Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether any specific proposals have been made to dump nuclear waste in North Powys or in any other location in Wales.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsNo.
§ Mr. Delwyn Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake that current proposals to explore and drill for nuclear waste disposal sites will be strictly confined within the areas already announced and defined.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe Government's research programme to assess the feasibility of possible options for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste includes research into underground disposal. In addition to the sites in Scotland and Northumberland which have been the subject of planning applications, the Institute of Geological Sciences is to carry out surface reconnaissance within four areas which appear to be suitable, subject to the receipt of planning permission, for drilling exploratory boreholes to examine fully the properties and characteristics of different geological formations. Only one of these areas lies in Wales—South Gwynedd and North-West Powys. Other programmes of the IGS in the Principapality are not associated in any way with the surveys of possible areas for research into the geological disposal of radioactive waste. Though other areas in the United Kingdom may be identified in the future for exploratory investigation, no action will be started in any such other areas without a further Government announcement.