Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the performance assessment of geological isolation systems for radioactive waste programmes sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities; and what are the implications of the PAGIS programme for future nuclear waste disposal in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryPAGIS (Performance Assessment of Geological Isolation Systems), a six-year multinational research project on the safety assessment of high-level waste (HLW) disposal, was launched in 1982 as part of the Community plan of action in the field of radioactive waste management. Reports of the PAGIS project have been published by the European Commission. PAGIS reinforces the Government view that all categories of radioactive waste can in principle be safely disposed of in the United Kingdom.
Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received a copy of the report from the European Commission on the evaluation of the third Community programme on radioactive waste management and storage, 1985–1989, published in July as document EUR 12264 EN; and what are the implications for the United Kingdom of this programme for the United Kingdom's radioactive waste inventory.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryMy Department received a copy of the executive summary of document EUR 12264 EN in July. The programme has no implications for the United Kingdom's radioactive waste inventory.