§ Viscount Hanworthasked Her Majesty's Government:
When a decision on the United Kingdom's future role with our European partners in the fast reactor programme is likely to be made.
1443WA
Viscount LongMy right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Energy announced in another place on 16th January 1984 (Official Report, cols. 47–48) that the United Kingdom had joined a European collaboration for the joint development of fast reactors, through signature of an intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding with France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy and Belgium.
The Government's general policies on the United Kingdom's participation in the European fast reactor collaboration were subsequently set out in May 1985 in a letter from the Secretary of State for Energy to the chairman of the UKAEA in the context of a proposal from the UKAEA and BNFL to build a fast reactor demonstration reprocessing plant in the United Kingdom. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of 1444WA State for Energy reported in another place on 24th May (Official Report, cols. 586–587) that copies of this letter had been placed in the Libraries of both Houses; and that the Government saw advantage to the nation and to the European collaboration in siting such a plant in the United Kingdom, subject to the agreement of our European partners and to the necessary planning, safety and environmental consents being granted.
On 31 st May the UKAEA and BNFL made a joint planning application to the Highland Regional Council to site the reprocessing plant at Dounreay. The Secretary of State for Scotland called in the planning application for his own decision on 18th September and has announced his intention to hold a public local inquiry. The timing of that inquiry has not yet been announced.