HC Deb 11 January 1994 vol 235 cc10-1W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of his decision on the application by British Nuclear Fuels for authorisations to discharge radioactive wastes from the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield as issued on 15 December were published; at what cost; and to which organisation and individuals they were circulated.

Mr. Atkins

Copies of the decision document were placed in the House Libraries and the Vote Office and sent to all those who were consulted, at no charge.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he took of the concerns raised by the group of United States Congress members, Japanese Diet members and hon. and right hon. Members, over the proliferation risk of THORP, before deciding on support for THORP at Sellafield.

Mr. Atkins

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food took into account all responses to the consultation before reaching their decisions.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost of consultation with other departments of Her Majesty's Government seeking interdepartmental advice on THORP as part of the review of the submissions to the THORP consultation process referred to at paragraph 19 of his decision document on THORP of 15 December.

Mr. Atkins

These costs have not been separately identified.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the application of article 14 of the 1978 tripartite UK-Euratom-IAEA Safeguards Agreement to the safeguards for the thermal oxide reprocessing plant set out in paragraphs 142–43 of the decision document on THORP.

Mr. Eggar

I have been asked to reply.

Article 14 of the 1978 tripartite UK-Euratom-IAEA safeguards agreement describes provisions for the exclusion of nuclear material from safeguards by the United Kingdom on the grounds of national security and applies to safeguarded material at all United Kingdom facilities subject to the agreement. The thermal oxide reprocessing plant—THORP—at Sellafield will be used for the reprocessing of civil nuclear material only.