HC Deb 05 May 1993 vol 224 cc107-8W
Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what permits, licences or grants have been given by the nuclear installations inspectorate/Health and Safety Executive, in the recent and current rounds of the licensing procedure for THORP, for radioactive processes and/or the use of radioactive substances in THORP, other than the reception and storage of irradiated fuel.

Mr. Eggar

The regulation of THORP, which is undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate (NII), is effected by conditions attached to the nuclear site licence for Sellafield. As regards the commissioning of THORP the NII has not yet permitted the introduction of radioactive material except for small amounts of natural uranium needed to calibrate certain instruments.

Mr. Tipping

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what account has been taken of(a) the Tomsk-7 and (b) the 1973 B204 Sellafield accidents in the design of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 4 May 1993]: This is a matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) but I understand that all relevant factors, including lessons learned from the accident at B 204 Sellafield, have been taken fully into account by BNFL in the design and construction of THORP. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate ensures that the design of nuclear plant such as THORP meets the high standards of safety they require.

The information has been published in ECGD's trading accounts from 1979–80, copies of which can be found in the Library. For convenience the relevant details are brought together in the following table: