AWE Aldermaston (Hansard, 17 December 1992)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operations were being carried out at the time of the accident at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December; what types of containers were involved in the accident; and what types of wastes were they storing.

§ Mr. Aitken
The incident involved a sealed metal storage container of plutonium metal, not waste material. A routine accounting audit of plutonium holdings was being undertaken at the time of the incident.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the accident that occurred at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December; how many persons were injured or contaminated; what was the extent of the injuries and contamination; what damage was caused to property; and what is the estimated cost of(a) repairing damage and (b) removing contamination following the accident at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December.

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the accident at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December.

§ Mr. Aitken
The incident at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December involved the release of a small amount of radioactive material from a damaged container within a storage building. The cause is being investigated by an inquiry which is now under way. There was no release of radioactive material outside the building. A total of five360W individuals were involved with the incident, four of whom received minor contamination; subsequent monitoring has confirmed that none of them received a significant radiation dose. There were no injuries sustained in the incident. The interior of the building was contaminated in the vicinity of the incident, but is not otherwise damaged. Decontamination work has begun, but it is not possible to estimate at this stage what the effort involved in completing the work will be.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents of the type that occurred at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December have occurred in the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Aitken
A previous incident involving a release of material in a plutonium storage building occurred at AWE Aldermaston in 1984. That case involved a different building and a different method of packaging of material. The then Under-Secretary of State for Defence gave the details to the House on 12 April 1984,Official Report, column 357.

§ Sir David Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to alter the numbers employed in AWE Aldermaston(a) currently and (b) after contractorisation; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Aitken
The numbers employed at AWE Aldermaston depend on the programme of work placed on the establishment. After contractorisation, the exact number will be a matter for the contractor, but this Government are fully committed to maintaining the nuclear programme which will continue to support jobs at the establishment.