§ Mr. Brightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with the study of the best practicable environmental options for radioactive wastes following the Halliday report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAn interim report has been produced on methodology and data, and I have today placed copies in the Library of the House. The overall purpose of the study is to consider disposal and storage options for low and intermediate-level wastes which would be individually acceptable in terms of radiation exposure, and compare them to establish their relative merits for any given type of waste. The interim report on methodology and data summarises work undertaken in the first phase of the study, and will enable my Department to review the approaches and models adopted, in consultations with the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee, the Trades Union Congress and others concerned, and identify issues which need further consideration before preparing the final report of the study, which is due for completion by the end of the year. No clear conclusions emerge at this stage.