HC Deb 03 December 1992 vol 215 cc345-6W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 23 October,Official Report, column 411, how many representations on plutonium exports his Department has received; and if he will indicate the nature of the representations from the (a) United Kingdom and (b) abroad.

Mr. Eggar

Over the past four months or so, my Department has received over 50 letters which mentioned, in most cases among other topics, the transfer of plutonium overseas. None of these letters came from abroad. Further representations may have been received by other Departments.

The letters came either direct from members of the public or through hon. Members and raised the possible misuse of the plutonium and its safe transport. The replies explained that civil plutonium is transferred overseas only subject to the application of safeguards and on receipt of assurances covering peaceful use, physical protection and controls on re-transfer.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of plutonium are contained in(a) nuclear fuel in reactors and (b) spent nuclear fuel in one-site cooling ponds at reactor sites in England and Wales; and what information on this plutonium his Department is required to report to the Euratom safeguards authorities.

Mr. Eggar

The information requested by the hon. Member is given in the annual plutonium figures published by my Department. Operators meet the requirements of the Euratom safeguards authorities by supplying monthly inventory change reports. These reports, which are sent via my Department's safeguards office, include any shipments off site of their irradiated fuel. Reports on such shipments contain estimates of the plutonium content of the fuel.

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how long plutonium and depleted uranium is permitted to be stored before these substances can no longer be used as fuel for nuclear power stations without further processing.

Mr. Eggar

The properties of uranium, whether natural, depleted or recovered from reprocessing, do not vary significantly over time. In the case of plutonium, the material changes its characteristics over time, mainly as a result of the formation of americium 241. The rate of this change depends on the burn-up of the fuel and the cooling period before reprocessing. The acceptable levels of americium when re-cycling plutonium are a commercial matter for the manufacturer of the recycled fuel and the operator of the reactor in which it will be used.

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when current supplies of uranium will be depleted; and if he will make a statement on the future of the United Kingdom's energy resources.

Mr. Eggar

The United Kingdom has no uranium resources which could be extracted economically under current world market conditions. The Government's aims are to promote the economic development of our indigenous energy resources and to ensure that the United Kingdom's energy needs are met cost-effectively.