§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that the facilities at Coulport for the handling and storage of Trident warheads will be adequate to contain any potential plutonium dispersal that could be caused by a nuclear warhead accident.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe likelihood of an accident to a nuclear weapon involving dispersal of plutonium is extremely remote, and safety is fully taken into account both in weapon design and operating procedures at handling and storage depots. Comprehensive plans exist for accident response at naval bases including Coulport; these are kept under review to ensure that they are adequate to deal with all accident scenarios.