HC Deb 02 May 1991 vol 190 cc291-3W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the sites currently being considered for interim disposal of(a) HMS Warspite (b) HMS Churchill and (c) HMS Conqueror;

(2) what research his Department currently is undertaking into cutting up reactors from decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines in a contained environment.

Mr. Alan Clark

A number of options are currently under consideration for the method and location of the interim storage and eventual disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with his NATO counterparts regarding the disposal of nuclear fleet submarines after decommissioning.

Mr. Alan Clark

There is a regular exchange of information between the United States and United Kingdom Governments under the 1958 mutual defence agreement and we are generally aware of each other's views. The only other NATO member operating nuclear submarines is France, with whom we have held no substantive discussions on the subject.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the independent expert members of the nuclear-powered warship safety committee who have specific expertise in(a) reactor safety and (b) decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarines.

Mr. Alan Clark

The membership of the nuclear-powered warship safety committee is confidential.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he makes it his policy to rule out the disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines at sea.

Mr. Alan Clark

A number of options are currently under consideration for the method and location of the interim storage and eventual disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines. But the Government are keeping under review whether the option of disposing of large decommissioned items at sea needs to be maintained.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint research with other NATO countries his Department has commissioned in the last 10 years regarding disposal of nuclear fleet submarines.

Mr. Alan Clark

None.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of all Z-berth sites in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

United Kingdom Z-berths, including buoys and anchorages, are at:

  • Barrow-in-Furness
  • Barry
  • Broadford Bay
  • Brodick Bay
  • Campbeltown
  • Cardiff
  • Coulport
  • Dales Voe
  • Devonport and Plymouth Sound
  • Faslane
  • The Firth of Forth
  • Glen Mallan
  • Holy Loch
  • Lamlash Bay
  • Lerwick
  • Liverpool
  • Loch Ewe
  • Loch Fyne
  • Loch Goil
  • Loch Long
  • Loch Na Beiste
  • Loch Striven
  • Portland
  • Portree
  • Portsmouth
  • Raasay
  • Rosyth
  • Rothesay
  • Southampton
  • Spithead
  • Thurso Bay
  • Torbay

In addition, we have decided to establish a Z-berth at Swansea.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the longest estimated half-life of components inside the reactors of(a) HMS Conqueror, (b) HMS Churchill and (c) HMS Warspite.

Mr. Alan Clark

Components as such do not have half-lives. The term half-life is associated with the radioactive decay of individual isotopes.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum number of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines which can be laid up at(a) Devonport and (b) Rosyth without taking away berths which would otherwise be used by operational ships at those sites.

Mr. Alan Clark

There would be sufficient berths at Rosyth and Devonport to store all decommissioned nuclear submarines for the foreseeable future without penalty to operations.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the moratorium of the London dumping convention is binding in respect of disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines.

Mr. Alan Clark

No.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the formal decommissioning of HMS Conqueror will now take place.

Mr. Alan Clark

HMS Conqueror was formally decommissioned from Royal Navy service on 31 December 1990. The first stage of decommissioning, in the separate sense that the word is applied to radioactive facilities, will begin shortly.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aspects of the material condition of(a) HMS Warspite, (b) HMS Churchill and (c) HMS Conqueror contributed to the decision to decommission them.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

It is not our normal practice to comment on the material state of individual submarines. Whilst the material state of ships and submarines is taken into account when decisions are taken to decommission them, it was not a major factor in the decisions to decommission Warspite, Churchill and Conqueror except in the general sense that they were among the Royal Navy's older and therefore less capable submarines.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department is giving to the potential safety implications of the technical defect discovered in HMS Warspite at the end of 1989 in respect of the options for interim disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines.

Mr. Alan Clark

The technical defect discovered in HMS Warspite has no bearing on the options for the decommissioning and disposal of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarines.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the existing Z-berth sites are being considered as options for interim disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines.

Mr. Alan Clark

None.