§ Mr. PatchettTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will now prevent plutonium from being flown out of Carlisle airport by British Nuclear Fuels Limited; and if he will hold a public inquiry into the use of Carlisle airport for the transport of radioactive materials.
§ Mr. Eggar[holding answer 5 February 1993]: No. In its report on the transport of civil plutonium by air, the independent Advisory Committee on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (November 1988) assessed that, on extremely pessimistic assumptions involving a severe crash in a suburban area, the radiological risks from carrying such material would be less than one fatality in 50 years. This is much lower than the likely casualties arising from the impact of the aircraft itself.