HC Deb 14 December 1993 vol 234 cc628-9W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines he has agreed for the transportation by road, rail and shipping for spent Polaris nuclear warheads from Faslane to the atomic weapons establishment, Burghfield and for warheads of parts thereof to AWE Aldermaston and Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Aitken

Nuclear warheads, and their components, can be transported by road, sea or air. Appropriate safety and security procedures are applied to all such movements.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many shipments have taken place from Faslane to atomic weapons establishments at Burghfield, Aldermaston and Cardiff of spent Polaris nuclear warheads for decommissioning, decontamination and disposal; what proposals he has for future programmes of this kind; and if he will make a statement on his proposals for amendments to the relevant nuclear site licences.

Mr. Aitken

It is not our policy to discuss movements of nuclear warheads. The question of licensing under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 does not arise: under the AWE Act 1991, AWE sites are not subject to such licensing.