§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer on nuclear safeguards, Official Report, 18 February, column 353, if he will set out ways in which his Department's safeguards office ensures that operators of United Kingdom nuclear facilities undertake nuclear material accountancy required by the United Kingdom and European Economic Community legislation to which he refers.
§ Mr. GoodladOfficials of my Department's safeguards office participate in negotiations with the United Kingdom nuclear operators and the Directorate of Euratom Safeguards to draw up the "particular safeguards provisions" called for under Commission Regulations (Euratom) No. 3227/76. In these provisions are requirements to determine the flow and stocks of nuclear materials in nuclear facilities and for procedures to determine the physical inventories of nuclear materials for accounting purposes. To ensure that these provisions are implemented effectively the safeguards office maintains liaison on a routine basis between the United Kingdom nuclear operators and the Directorate of Euratom Safeguards to resolve any difficulties which may arise. In addition the Directorate of Euratom Safeguards regularly send inspection teams to civil nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom to examine accounting records and to690W verify the physical presence of nuclear material. In many cases the safeguards office has a representative at these inspections as allowed for under the Euratom treaty.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer about Euratom inspectors at Sellafield and Springfield on 18 February, Official Report, columns 355–356, if he will set out the texts of the two proposals made to the Commission.
§ Mr. GoodladNo. These proposals are the subject of continuing confidential negotiations with Euratom.