§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will initiate an inquiry into the effects of the recent severe weather on the emergency services near Calder Hall nuclear power station and, in particular, into (a) the effect of heavy snow falls and icy conditions on the mobility of vehicles required for evacuation purposes, (b) measures to ensure that under such weather conditions emergency personnel do not spend sufficient time within the disaster area to receive a fatal radiation dose and (c) the effect of such weather conditions on the mobility of fire engines; and what is his assessment as to whether the current emergency arrangements for a nuclear accident are adequate;
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility under the severe weather conditions recently experienced of extending the emergency plans for Sellafield and Calder Hall beyond the immediate area for which a detailed plan exists in the event of a worst case reactor accident.
§ Mr. GoodladBritish Nuclear Fuels Limited plc is required by the terms of its licence under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to satisfy Her Majesty's nuclear installation inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive of the adequacy of the emergency arrangements for Sellafield, including Calder Hall. Evacuation is the responsibility of the police, who can call on emergency services as necessary. Those concerned will be considering if there are any new lessons to be learned from the recent severe weather conditions.