§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recommendation was made by Rolls-Royce and Associates in respect of reassessment of the need to establish a safety case before lifting nuclear submarines;
(2) what the criteria now are for establishing a safety case for the Faslane Trident shiplift.
§ Mr. AitkenBefore a nuclear-powered submarine is lifted at the Clyde submarine base it will be necessary to demonstrate that no reasonably foreseeable event, whether internal—for example, mechanical or electrical breakdown—or external—for example, extreme winds, waves, floods, tides or an earthquake—would result in catastrophic failure of the shiplift or an unacceptable risk to the general public. This is in line with practice in the civil nuclear industry. To provide confidence in the progress of the safety case, we commissioned independent advice from Rolls-Royce and Associates. The company made a number of detailed recommendations, all of which are either under consideration or already being implemented. The shiplift will not be used to lift a nuclear-powered submarine until its safety has been established to the satisfaction of the nuclear safety authorities.