§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether radioactive wastes, now being reprocessed in the United Kingdom for Japan and other foreign countries at Windscale, will be returned to their countries of origin for long-term disposal; and what happens to the plutonium and uranium recovered.
§ Mr.Norman LamontThe only irradiated fuel of foreign origin now being reprocessed in the United Kingdom is that arising from the Tokai Mura—Japan— and Latina—Italy—contracts. These were concluded before 1976, that is, before BNFL was required to ensure that new reprocessing contracts with overseas utilities contained clauses enabling BNFL to return to the customer the radioactive wast remaining after reprocessing. Under these two contracts the waste is retained in the United Kingdom, whilst uranium and plutonium are made available to the customer in accordance with the contractual terms and under appropriate international safeguards. The volume of waste which will remain in the United Kingdom