HC Deb 19 May 1989 vol 153 c314W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many tonnes of uranium have been imported into the United Kingdom annually since 1979; whether the safeguards designation for each consignment was N or P; which authorities made the safeguards designation; from which countries the uranium originated; and was any subsequently re-exported.

Mr. Michael Spicer

[holding answer 11 May 1989]: The Euratom authorities assign appropriate safeguards coding, according to the conditions imposed by the government of the supplying country, at the time contracts are signed. Since 1979 over 10,000 tonnes of uranium as ore concentrate has been imported for use in the United Kingdom civil programme; all of it is subject to peaceful end-use restrictions imposed by the supplier country, with the exception of that from Namibia which was subject to obligation code "N". The ore concentrate was imported from Canada, United States of America and Namibia. No uranium ore concentrate has been imported from Namibia since 1984.

In addition to uranium imported for use in the United Kingdom, over 30,000 tonnes of uranium, as ore concentrate, has been processed by British Nuclear Fuels Limited since 1979, on behalf of overseas customers for subsequent re-export. The origin of such material is a matter for these customers to determine.

All uranium imported either for the United Kingdom civil programme or for re-export is subject to Euratom safeguards and the terms of the United Kingdom Euratom-International Atomic Energy Authority safeguards agreement and to any end use obligations imposed by the supplier country.