HC Deb 19 October 1992 vol 212 cc156-7W
Mr. Ainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ask the working group on safety of United Kingdom nuclear weapons to review immediately the procedures for dealing with accidents involving nuclear weapons.

Mr. Aitken

In their report of the 13 July, the working group noted that there are well-developed procedures for dealing with accidents involving nuclear weapons. We regularly practise these arrangments which are overseen by the nuclear weapons safety committee, my Department's permanently constituted senior source of independent advice on nuclear weapon safety.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to cease production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium in the United Kingdom, as part of Her Majesty's Government's efforts to halt nuclear weapon proliferation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 16 July,Official Report, column 932–33.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he is yet in a position to publish his Department's scientists' review of nuclear weapon safety, with particular reference to accidents involving nuclear weapons road convoys; and if he will make a statement;

(2) further to his answer on 12 June, Official Report, column 317, if he is yet in a position to publish his Department's scientists' review into the safety of nuclear warheads in the wake of the Drell report; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 13 July at column521, in which publication of the working group's report was announced.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current estimate of the date of decision on the formal tenders for contractorisation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment pursuant to the passage of the Atomic Weapons Establishment Act 1991 and his letter of 4 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West.

Mr. Aitken

We expect to announce the successful tenderer in early 1993.

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