HC Deb 29 November 1994 vol 250 cc645-7W
Mr. MacShane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to deregulate the radioactive nuclear waste industry and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins

Proposed changes to the regulatory responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food were contained in paragraph 194 of the Department's consultation paper "Review of Radioactive Waste Management Policy: Preliminary Conclusions",

Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the extent of under-occupation in the(a) rented and (b) owner-occupied sectors.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

The latest estimates for England are as follows:

published in August. Copies were placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. MacShane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 39 dump sites identified as suitable for placing low-level radioactive nuclear waste.

Mr. Atkins

A recent press release by Greenpeace listed 37 landfill sites which are, or have in the past, received low-level radioactive waste for disposal by controlled burial. Ten of these sites are in Scotland and the information relating to Scotland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution currently monitors and publicly reports upon the remaining 27 sites in England and Wales. A number of these sites are now closed or do not now receive radioactive waste for disposal. The sites which are specified in the authorisations issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, and which currently receive such waste are listed

  • Milton Landfill, Cambridge
  • Cowpen Bewley Tip, Cleveland
  • Waste Ponds, Walney Island, Cumbria
  • Hilts Quarry, Derbyshire
  • Magnesium Elktron site, Greater Manchester
  • Cilgwyn Quarry, Gwynedd
  • Braziers Landfill, Hertfordshire
  • SCM Chemicals site, Humberside
  • Clifton Marsh, Lancashire
  • Sefton Meadows Tip, Merseyside
  • Beighton Tip, South Yorkshire
  • Beddingham Quarry, Sussex

Four of these 12 sites receive low-level radioactive waste from premises licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, and which are local to the site of burial. The remaining sites receive waste generated by activities which are not a part of the nuclear industry, most commonly hospitals and universities.

Authority to make controlled burials is granted only after a comprehensive assessment of waste producer's application and of the site it proposes. There are no outstanding applications for authorisation to make controlled burials of waste generated at nuclear sites, or for additional producers of waste to make consignments to sites currently used by others.

Mr. MacShane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration has been given to(a) dry storage at the site of production and (b) other alternative methods of dumping of radioactive nuclear waste.

Mr. Atkins

A consultation document containing the preliminary conclusions of the Government's review of radioactive waste management policy was published in August and copies placed in the Library of the House. The responses are now being considered and a statement of future policy will be made in due course.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what responses his Department has received to the consultation document "Review of Radioactive Waste Management Policy: Preliminary Conclusions", published on 5 August 1994.

Mr. Atkins

The Department has received more than 250 responses to the consultation document. A list of these has been placed in the Library of the House and copies of individual responses may be obtained through the Library. In addition, we have received over 5,000 letters from members of the public following campaigns by Greenpeace. All the points raised are receiving careful consideration.