§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if Her Majesty's Government will give permission to the European Commission to disclose details of safeguarded uranium at United Kingdom-based military-civil mixed facilities.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerNo.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy, if he will set out the current plans to repatriate the low and intermediate level radioactive waste to Japan from reprocessing contracts signed for THORP since 1976.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerBNFL's post-1976 reprocessing contracts provide for the return of wastes after they have been put into a form suitable for safe transportation and storage.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement on the volumes of reprocessed plutonium and uranium likely to arise from British Nuclear Fuels plc's pre-1976 contracts; and what plans there are for(a) the length of time, (b) the conditions and (c) the security conditions under which this will be stored.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerApproximately 2,900 tonnes of recovered uranium and 9 tonnes of recovered plutonium (fissile) have arisen, or are likely to arise, from overseas reprocessing contracts entered into before 1976 by British Nuclear Fuels plc. These materials are stored under secure conditions until required by the owners and are subject to appropriate IAEA and Euratom safeguards procedures.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many parliamentary answers he has given on plutonium in the periods(a) 1979 to 1984 and (b) 1985 to 1989, respectively.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerBetween May 1979 and December 1984, Ministers at the Department of Energy gave 75 answers to hon. Members in reply to questions relating to plutonium. From January 1985 onwards the total is 228.