§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can confirm that 40,000 cubic metres of intermediate radioactive wastes are in temporary storage on land in Great Britain and are increasing at the rate of 3,000 cubic metres a year; 200WA whether they are precluded from disposal at sea by the London Dumping Convention; and what measures they are considering to deal with accumulated wastes and to prevent their increase.
The Earl of CaithnessI can confirm that at 1st January 1986 there were almost 42,000 cubic metres of intermediate-level wastes in interim storage in Great Britain, and that this amount is increasing by approximately 3,000 cubic metres a year. Some of the intermediate-level waste currently stored would be eligible for sea disposal under the International Atomic Energy Agency definition of wastes suitable for this disposal method. Wastes will continue to be stored safely until appropriate disposal arrangements are made. It is the policy of the Government's regulatory bodies to ensure that the creation of wastes is minimised.