HC Deb 28 October 1988 vol 139 c420W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations from Her Majesty's Government were made at the International Atomic Energy Authority conference held in Vienna on 21 September on the relationship between the Vienna convention on civil liability for nuclear damage 1963 and the Paris convention on third party liability in the field of nuclear energy 1960.

Mr. Michael Spicer

At the conference on 21 September representatives of Her Majesty's Government gave full support to, and signed, the joint protocol to establish a relationship between the Vienna convention on civil liability for nuclear damage and the Paris convention on third party liability in the field of nuclear energy.

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many departmental Ministers or officials were present at the 32nd annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Authority, held in Vienna on 19 to 23 September.

Mr. Michael Spicer

In addition to members of the United Kingdom's permanent mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency, two officials from the Department of Energy and one from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office attended the IAEA's 32nd general conference. No Ministers were present at the conference.

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if any initiatives on(a) nuclear safety, (b) nuclear safeguards, (c) precautions against nuclear terrorism and non-state proliferation, (d) nuclear waste management and (e) nuclear emergency planning were made by the United Kingdom delegation to the 32nd regular session of the International Atomic Energy Agency general conference held on 19 to 23 September, in Vienna.

Mr. Michael Spicer

The United Kingdom delegation played a full and active role in the proceedings of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 32nd general conference, which covered a wide range of issues affecting all aspects of the agency's work. The United Kingdom joined in the sponsoring of resolutions on nuclear safety and on the dumping of radioactive waste and was among the signatories of a protocol linking the Paris and Vienna conventions on nuclear liability.