§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will take steps to evaluate the findings of Professor Ringwood of the Australian National University in Canberra concerning the propensity of borosilicate glasses, used for vitrifying nuclear waste, to disintegrate on contact with underground water of moderate temperature and at low pressures;
(2) if he will take steps to evaluate the Synroc material for entombing nuclear waste developed in Australia by Professor Ringwood of the Australian National University in Canberra.
§ Mr. FoxThe Department of the Environment's research programme includes an evaluation of all the techniques for immobilising high level liquid radioactive waste, including Synroc, and a study of the properties of borosilicate glasses to assess their stability under a variety of conditions.