§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the average annual failure rate for fuel 815W elements used in (a) Magnox reactors, and (b) advanced gas-cooled reactors for each year since these fuels have been used; and what are the comparable fuel failure rates in pressurised water reactor fuel used in France and the United States of America, respectively.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerIn recent years, the average annual failure rates of fuel elements used in Magnox reactors and fuel pins used in advanced gas cooled reactors (AGRs), for the United Kingdom as a whole, were as follows:
- Magnox: 0.002–0.004 per cent.
- AGR: 0.0001 per cent.
Comparable statistics relating to the fuel element failure rates for PWRs in France and the United States of America are not available.
The term failure in this context means a very minor leak of fission products into the coolant. There have been no significant safety or environmental implications.