§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek a meeting with the chairman of ICI Ltd. to discuss the dumping of surplus high explosives off the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde and the migration of explosives and detonators from this site.
§ Mr. NeubertNo.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will evaluate the current safety of surplus conventional explosives disposed of near Alderney in the Hurd deep channel.
§ Mr. NeubertAll military explosives material disposed of at sea is deposited in a manner which ensures that it sinks to the bottom and stays there. The depth of water and the fact that the dumping site is shown on published navigational charts ensure that the material constitutes no hazard to vessels.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation he has made of the accident potential posed by the migration of surplus high explosives dumped off the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde into sub-surface access channels for United Kingdom and United States nuclear submarines using the Coulport and Holy Loch facilities on the Clyde.
§ Mr. NeubertThe location of this and other commercial dumping grounds is well known, as is the possibility of occasional migration of small quantities of explosives. Instructions given to submarines which transit these areas are such that the risk of an accident is extremely low.
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§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to investigate the disposal programme for surplus high explosives from his Department's stocks.
§ Mr. NeubertThe Ministry of Defence's policy on the disposal of high explosives is kept under constant review. The Department disposes of surplus high explosives by destruction in prescribed areas, dumping in carefully selected deep sea locations or through the use of contractors specialising in the non-explosive breakdown of these substances. There is no reason to believe that any of these methods poses a risk to the general public.