§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there is any truth in reports by Greenpeace (for example in the Guardian of 26th March) that parts rejected as unsafe in France are to be used in the new Sizewell pressurised water reactor and, if so, what action they will take.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)The design and construction of the4WA pressurised water reactor (PWR) at Sizewell B are matters for Nuclear Electric plc. However, I understand that the company is fully aware of the problems encountered at some of the older French PWRs as regards the cracking in penetrations through the reactor head and has discussed the matter in detail with both Electricité de France and with Framatome (who made the reactor pressure vessels for Nuclear Electric and Electricité de France). Nuclear Electric proposes to introduce a programme of inspections of the reactor pressure vessels head penetrations at regular intervals during the station's operation and to install a leak detection system. These measures will allow for early remedial action to be undertaken if a safety issue should arise.