§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to publish the annual plutonium production and storage figures in theOfficial Report.
§ Mr. BaldryThe information referred to by the hon. Member is detailed and specialised and is already circulated widely as a press release by my Department.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy in respect of his departmental press release No. 180 of 5 December 1989, how the estimate in paragraph 1.B(a) and (b) of plutonium contents of fuel is made; how the figures in paragraph 2 (c) quoted for plutonium oxide were reached; why the figures in paragraph 2(d)(i) and (iii) for cumulative stocks of plutonium aggregate BNFL and overseas customers; what is the reason for the rounding of plutonium figures to 50 kg; and whether the figures are forwarded to the safeguards authorities with the same rounding.
§ Mr. BaldryThe estimates in paragraphs 1B(a) and (b) of plutonium contents of fuel are made from a knowledge of the irradiation levels of fuel elements. The plutonium content of these is calculated using standard computer codes and then summed for all the elements in the reactor or in the irradiated fuel stores as appropriate.
813WPlutonium oxide which has been separated in the reprocessing operation (paragraph 2(c) is analysed to measure its precise composition and weighed very accurately.
The format of the press release and its predecessors followed a recommendation by the Sizewell inquiry that details of plutonium in the United Kingdom's civil reactors should be published. The column of figures at paragraph 2(d) of the release, which shows stocks belonging to BNFL and its overseas customers, is additional information included to indicate the overall stock of safeguarded plutonium held by BNFL at Sellafield. The stock of BNFL's own plutonium is less than 0.5 tonne.
Information on stocks of plutonium, to the nearest gramme, is supplied to Euratom who are aware that some of the figures have been calculated as described above.
§ Dr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what revisions have been made in the estimates of amounts814W of plutonium in spent nuclear fuel, as referred to in his Department's press release No. 180 of 5 December 1989, on annual civil plutonium figures.
§ Mr. BaldryAs stated in press release 180, since the figures for 1986–87 and 1987–88 were published some revisions have been made in the estimates provided by the generating boards of the amounts of plutonium in spent fuel. The changes to the estimates of plutonium were:
Reactor discharges estimated kg of plutonium rounded to nearest 50 kg Pu Previous figure Revised figure 1986–87 Heysham 1 50 0 1987–88 Heysham 1 100 50 Oldbury 350 300 No amendments have been necessary to any measured quantities of plutonium. All of this material is accounted for and remains under safeguards