§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current total inventory of radioactive material, in curies, of the fuel rods in each of the atomic reactors and also the spent fuel being reprocessed at the moment, including that awaiting reprocessing and also the radioactive waste awaiting disposal.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI am advised by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority that the inventory of radioactivity in a nuclear reactor when its reaches an equilibrium value under normal operation might typically be about 10 curies per watt of electrical capacity. The radioactivity diminishes rapidly when the reactor is shut down and this reduction continues subsequently at a gradually reducing rate. The radioactivity associated with spent fuel from the United Kingdom reactors which is undergoing reprocessing or awaiting reprocessing is estimated to amount to some 400 mega curies. After reprocessing the level of radioactivity in wastes continues to decline. The radioactivity of wastes held prior to treatment and disposal amounts to some 550 mega curies.
It will be seen from this that, in the nuclear programme as a whole, the amount of radioactivity is changing continuously. It is not therefore meaningful to attempt to provide precise figures relating to the total number of curies of radioactivity existing at any given time in a nuclear programme.