HC Deb 27 July 1993 vol 229 cc930-1W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many movements of spent fuel of radioactive waste to Sellafield have resulted from the Magnox reprocessing programme to date.

Mr. Eggar

To date, more than 12,000 flasks of spent Magnox fuel have been delivered to Sellafield for reprocessing.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many and what range of movements of radioactive waste will arise in the lifetime of the operation of THORP if substitution is not permitted.

Mr. Eggar

British Nuclear Fuels plc estimates that, from the first 10 years of operating its thermal oxide reprocessing plant and assuming that waste substitution is not approved, some 3,300 containers of radioactive waste would have to be returned to its customers overseas. The quantities for subsequent years will depend upon BNFL's progress in securing additional orders for the plant.

Mr. Tipping

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies he has commissioned and which compare the viability of returning the intermediate-level wastes arising from the reprocessing of foreign nuclear fuel at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant for the customer countries rather than vitrified high-level waste.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 23 July 1993]: None.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department has been consulted regarding the location of storage facilities for intermediate-level waste generated by reprocessing foreign spent fuel at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, between the planned start-up of THORP and the beginning of operation of the planned Nirex repository; and if he will make it his policy not to include Dounreay in his consideration.

Mr. Eggar

BNFL's plans for intermediate level waste are to store it, following encapsulation, in purpose-built facilities at Sellafield until it is returned to the customer or disposed of as appropriate.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what storage facilities there are, or are planned, for intermediate-level wastes arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, between the planned start up of THORP and the beginning of operation of the planned Nirex repository; and if he will take this into account when considering approval of the principle of waste substitution.

Mr. Eggar

The provision of waste storage facilites at Sellafield is a matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc as operators of the site. All relevant factors will be taken into account in considering the company's proposal for waste substitution.