§ 79. Mr. Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what response he has made to the request from the Australian Government for a financial contribution to the cost of studies on means of clearing up the Maralinga nuclear test site; what progress has been made on joint technical studies by British and Australian scientists; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonFollowing the report to him by the technical assessment group (TAG), to which the United Kingdom provided two technical experts, Senator Evans requested assistance with a two-year research programme. In London on 3 October 1986 the Minister of State for Defence Procurement agreed, as part of the United Kingdom commitment to provide technical advice, to give support to the research studies which Senator Evans had decided were necessary before practical and cost-effective clean-up options could be fully developed. The two Ministers also recognised that uncertainties about what will be involved in the studies would have to be taken up in a further round of detailed official-level discussions planned to take place in Australia within the next two months.