British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (Windscale) (Hansard, 9 April 1981)

§ Mr. Norman Lamont

The Health and Safety Executive has today published the review team's full report. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

I welcome this valuable report, which describes the very thorough review conducted by the team into all aspects of the arrangements for the management of safety 308W at Windscale, including procedures for design safety assessment and those for surveillance of safety in operating plants and during maintenance. It is comprehensive, constructive and balanced, covering the whole spectrum of safety organisation from management systems down to shop floor safety procedures. It makes it clear that BNFL and its employees at all levels co-operated fully with the team and that throughout the review a constructive dialogue was maintained between the team, the company, the Nuclear Installation's Inspectorate and the Radiochemicals Inspectorate.

The report shows that serious deficiencies have existed in the past and that it has taken time to overcome these. However, in the course of its review the team identified a number of important areas where safety systems and procedures still needed improvement and managerial responsibilities required clarification. Accordingly, a series of detailed recommendations have been made. Of these, the main matters identified as needing attention relate to the review and updating of procedures; the strengthening of technical support groups on the site; the developing and strengthening of the quality assurance organisation; and the implementation of a particular system of safety audit.

Because the Government attach great importance to safety at Windscale, I have discussed the report and its recommendations with the HSE, together with the executive's plans to follow up the report's conclusions. It has assured me that, as the report records, BNFL's management at Windscale and the company's Risley headquarters have made strenuous efforts to improve arrangements for achieving a high standard of safety. Some of the conclusions reached had already been considered by Windscale's management and were being implemented while the team was at work. The team communicated others to the company and the NII as they arose during the course of the review. Consequently, most of the report's recommendations have been, or are in the process of being, implemented. The HSE is satisfied with the company's plans for the orderly implementation of the remaining recommendations and will maintain close contact with the company on their progress.

I have also discussed the report's conclusions and recommendations with BNFL, emphasising the importance the Government attach to early implementation of these and the maintenance of effective control over safety at Windscale. It, too, accepts the report as fair and constructive and has thought it right to publish its formal response to the report. I welcome this and have arranged for copies to be laid in the Library of the House.

As to the future, BNFL, recognises the importance of line management responsibilities for safety at all stages of a plant's design, construction, operation and maintenance, and that primary responsibility for the safety of all its operations rests with the company. Its policy is one of positive self-regulation in safety matters rather than reliance on meeting conditions imposed by regulatory bodies. In developing and extending this policy it will continue to take full account of the review team's recommendation particularly in relation to internal safety audit systems, the strengthened role of the Directorate of Health and Safety and the provision of technical support. It has assured me that it sees no difficulty in providing adequate resources for this purpose.

I understand that the HSE has proposed, as an important part of the follow-up, that BNFL shall provide the 309W executive, in six months' time, with a full report on progress towards implementation of the review team's recommendations. This will be published. At the same time, the NII, which attaches great importance to its surveillance role at Windscale, will take full account of the review team's findings during normal inspection work relating to the site's activities.

I draw attention to the HSE and review team's respective conclusions that Windscale should not be regarded as a dangerous place at which to work or near which to live and that it sees no reason, on safety grounds, why the programme for the development of the Windscale site should not continue. The Government welcome this authoritative reassurance. I am satisfied that such of the report's recommendations as have not so far been implemented will be implemented by BNFL as a matter of priority and that the HSE has devised effective arrangements for the independent monitoring of this follow-up to the report. I also have full confidence in the ability and capacity of BNFL's and Windscale's management to control effectively the safety of operations at the Windscale site.