§ Mr. McKelveyasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many nuclear reactors have been decommissioned.
§ Mr. John MooreThe Dounreay materials test reactor and the DRAGON reactor at Winfrith have been taken to the first stage of decommissioning whereby the fuel and all the other easily accessible radioactive components have been removed. The Dounreay fast reactor and the Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor are currently being taken to the first stage. The BEPO reactor at Harwell has been taken to the second stage which involves reducing the main structure to the minimum possible size and removal of all equipment. In addition, three small reactors have undergone decommissioning, two of them being taken to the third or final stage. This involves complete dismantling of the plant and site clearances for unrestricted use. Eight experimental reactors of low thermal output have been completely dismantled. No commercial scale nuclear power stations have yet reached the end of their useful lives.