HL Deb 16 May 1985 vol 463 cc1333-4WA
Lord Jenkins of Putney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether plutonium exported to the USA was transferred under a civil or military agreement, and what were the terms of that agreement.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Gray of Contin)

United Kingdom plutonium has been exported to the United States for defence and civil purposes.

Before 1971 exports were made of material derived from the United Kingdom's military reactors at Calder Hall and Chapelcross and from the reactors of the CEGB and SSEB. This was transferred under the Mutual Defence Agreement 1958, the terms of which are stated in Cmnd. 537, as amended. On 21st April 1964 the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, reported to the House (Official Report, col. 676) that the Prime Minister had been informed by the United States Government that they had no intention of using this plutonium for weapons purposes. Last year the US Energy Secretary Mr. Hodel reported that this plutonium had not been used in weapons and that it is the policy of his department not to so use it.

Since 1971 plutonium derived from the United Kingdom's military reactors has been supplied under the Mutual Defence Agreement for such uses as the United States Government has decided. Exports of United Kingdom material have also been made since 1971 for civil purposes. Two amounts were sold in 1973–74 and 1974–75 respectively. In 1979 the UKAEA announced a fast reactor research programme with the USA under which experimental fuel pins manufactured in the United Kingdom and USA are undergoing a range of tests in support of fast reactor safety. Plutonium in fast reactor fuel pins has been sent to the USA under this civil research programme. The movement of pins is planned to ensure that there will be no net export of plutonium from the United Kingdom by the end of the collaboration. All the material involved in this arrangement and the civil sales since 1971 are subject to the relevant bilateral and IAEA safeguards agreements, which provide for the plutonium to be used only for peaceful purposes.