§ Mr. Couchmanasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to add new nuclear contaminated material to the residual nuclear storage at the former Royal Navy dockyard in Gillingham, Kent.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe residual nuclear storage facility known, as MOD Gillingham consists of a storage facility for radioactive materials and contaminated equipment and a disposal site for low level radioactive waste. The latter was used for disposal of waste up to the end of last year, but there are no plans for its further use. The storage facility was used for contaminated equipment when Chatham dockyard was in operation and now contains intermediate level waste awaiting disposal. Its use for storage of containers of radioactive material and contaminated equipment from other dockyards is being considered and items may be transferred temporarily from Devonport and/or Rosyth, pending the extension of their own storage facilities. There will be no hazard to members of the public arising from storage of such items as the radiation levels just outside the building will be such that no special restrictions on movement will be required.