§ Mr. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will announce the date on which he expects the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to begin shipping plutonium by sea from Dounreay to Windscale; what amount in kilograms of plutonium will be included in each shipment; what arrangements have been made in the event of bad weather during shipment, in particular what ports or other places are envisaged as emergency shelters; and if he will place in the Library copies of all the background papers used by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in the compilation of the report, "The Transport of Plutonium in the Form of Nitrate Solution between Dounreay and Windscale", including the risk assessments made by the Safety and Reliability Directorate of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. and the design safety manual referred to in paragraph 14 of the report.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe first consignment of plutonium nitrate by sea from Dounreay to Windscale will144W take place during the next few months. The amount of plutonium in each shipment will depend on the Dounreay programme. The design capacity of the container is a few tens of kilogrammes. In the event of bad weather during the voyage, the ship's master will seek refuge in the most convenient area of sheltered waters, retaining steerage and the ability to manoeuvre. It is not intended that the ship will enter any port on the route. An extensive bibliography of background papers used by the NII was included in its report. But the two documents specifically mentioned cannot be released because they are classified, for the reason explained in my separate reply to the hon. Member.