HC Deb 15 June 1984 vol 61 cc585-6W
Mr. Frank Cook

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many separate items of correspondence have been received from members of the Cleveland community on the NIREX proposals to dispose of radioactive waste in Billingham; and of these how many expressed (a) approval, (b) opposition and (c) disinterest in the proposals.

Mr. Waldegrave

Up to 13 June my Department had received approximately 350 letters about the interest of the

Number of local authority homes and places for the elderly and younger physically handicapped in Metropolitan district councils and London boroughs—1979–1983
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
Local authority Homes Places Homes Places Homes Places Homes Places Homes Places
Tyne and Wear
Gateshead 15 646 15 646 15 646 15 646 15 646
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 24 890 26 944 29 1,042 28 1,020 28 986
North Tyneside 9 399 9 397 10 470 10 472 10 468
South Tyneside 11 426 11 426 11 426 11 426 10 441
Sunderland 21 798 21 803 21 832 21 847 21 829
South Yorkshire
Bamsley 18 609 18 613 18 613 17 589 18 630
Doncaster 21 725 21 714 21 716 20 736 20 747
Rotherham 15 516 16 560 17 600 17 606 18 646
Sheffield 44 1,802 44 1,790 44 1,803 45 1,835 47 1,876
West Yorkshire
Bradford 35 1,432 36 1,468 38 1,484 37 1,452 37 1,453
Calderdale 19 661 19 656 19 668 19 668 19 685

Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (NIREX) in the anhydrite mine at Billingham. All the representations received expressed varying degrees of opposition to the possible use of the mine for the disposal of radioactive wastes. NIREX has so far made no formal proposals for such a project; it has only identified the mine as meriting investigation to determine its suitability for development as a depository for radioactive wastes.