§ Sir Trevor Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has complied with the recommendation of Sir Frank Layfield in his summary of conclusions chapter 2, paragraph 3, that at least two members of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee should be advisors specifically to provide an independent expert environmental contribution to the handling of radioactive waste management.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy is currently considering Sir Frank Layfield's report on the CEGB application to build Sizewell B. The Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in the planning process and it would therefore be improper of me to comment on any part of the report. However, the House of Commons will have the opportunity to express its views before a decision is taken and a debate is being arranged in the week beginning 23 February.
§ Sir Trevor Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the dumping of nuclear waste at sea to be resumed by the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI refer my hon. Friend to the Government's response to the Environment Committee's 413W report on Radioactive Waste (Cmnd. 9852) in which it is stated that the Government, in common with many other countries, consider that the disposal of radioactive waste at sea is a safe disposal option, which should remain available. They will, however, continue to decide on any application for the disposal of such waste in the light of all the relevant factors.
§ Sir Trevor Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what form of licence has been granted by his Department to Pharmacia Ltd. of Milton Keynes to deposit low level waste in a land fill site near Stewartby, Bedfordshire; and if he will publish the source of the materials involved and the identification of the isotopes.
§ Mr. WaldegravePharmacia (GB) Ltd. was issued on 11 April 1983 with a certificate of authorisation to dispose of low level radioactive waste by removal as refuse by a waste collection authority or by depositing it at a dump used for the deposit of substantial quantities of waste that are not readioactive waste. The terms of the authorisation do not specify a particualr location. The company is registered as a user of iodine-125 and cobalt-57 for sale and research.