Plutonium (Hansard, 28 February 1983)

§ 24. Mr. Palmer
asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much plutonium from nuclear power stations has been exported to the United States of America under the 1959 exchange agreement.

§ Mr. John Moore
I my reply of 1 April 1982 to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Cook) I provided a table showing the allocation of plutonium produced in CEGB and SSEB Magnox reactors. A footnote to the table saidThe balance of plutonium produced in the Board's magnox reactors was consigned to the United States before 1971 under the United States/United Kingdom Defence Agreement, and as stated by the Prime Minister on 21 April 1964 was used by the United States for civil purposes. Because of the barter arrangements under which this plutonium was consigned, it would not be in the national interest to publish this figure.

§ Mr. Cook
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will update the plutonium production figures provided in the table of his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central on 1 April 1982, Official Report, c. 169.

§ Mr. John Moore
The table will be updated using as a baseline plutonium production figures at 31 March 1983. The new table will be provided in June.

§ Mr. Cook
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if any of the 14.5 tonnes of plutonium oxide listed under item (c) of the answer of 1 April 1982, Official Report, c. 169, has had the isotopic composition of the plutonium altered following its extraction from spent reactor fuel.

§ Mr. John Moore
The stock of 14½ tonnes of plutonium in the form of plutonium oxide has been built up over a number of years from the reprocessing of fuel from the CEGB and SSEB Magnox reactors. As the plutonium oxide has emerged from the reprocessing plant it has been placed in sealed containers and added to the stockpile. There have been no changes in the isotopic composition of the plutonium in these sealed containers, apart from the natural radioactive decay of the various isotopes of plutonium.

§ Mr. Cook
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the proportion by type of reactor of the source of the 14.5 tonnes of plutonium oxide listed under item (c) of the answer of 1 April 1982, Official Report, c. 169.

§ Mr. John Moore
The 14½ tonnes of plutonium in the form of plutonium oxide was all produced in the Magnox reactors of the CEGB and the SSEB.