§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 19 May,Official Report, column 158, if he will set out (a) the total number of letters he has received on plutonium transport from (i) hon. Members of Parliament and Lords and (ii) others, (b) the categories of individuals or groups who constitute the others; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the standard letter of response sent to inquirers.
§ Mr. NorrisDuring this year my Department has received one such letter from a member of the House of Lords, 35 from Members of the House of Commons, and 30 from members of the public, local councils and other organisations, including the Highland regional council, Strathclyde regional council, Argyll and Bute district council, the Scottish Green party, the international secretariat committee of the Nuclear Policy and Information Unit of Nuclear Free Local Authorities, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. No standard letter of response was applicable to all the correspondence.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 18 May,Official Report, column 91, what changes have been made in the text of the draft INF code in working paper 30; if he will list them; and when a final decision will be taken on implementing the code.
§ Mr. NorrisThe draft code for the safe carriage of irradiated nuclear fuel in flasks on board ships was changed to cover also the carriage of plutonium and high level radioactive waste. A further section (9), concerning management, training and shipboard emergency planning, was also added to the draft code.
Subject to the approval of the 62nd session of the Maritime Safety Committee and the views of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, it is expected that the code will be submitted for adoption as a code of practice by resolution of the 18th assembly of the International Maritime Organisation—25 October to 5 November 1993.