HC Deb 23 January 1995 vol 253 c6W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the negotiations with United States authorities regarding proposals by British Nuclear Fuels plc to import radioactively contaminated nitric acid from the US Energy Department nuclear complex at Harford.

Mr. Charles Wardle

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 1 November 1994,Official Report, column 1025.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the policy position set out by EC Energy Commissioner elect, Christos Papoutsis, during the confirmation hearings before the European Parliament on 9 January, in regard to the uneconomic status of recycled commercial plutonium for nuclear fuel and the attendant problems of safeguarding plutonium.

Mr. Charles Wardle

The Government's policy on the question of whether to reprocess or to seek alternative spent fuel management options is that this is a matter for the owners of the spent fuel.

With regard to the remarks referred to by the hon. Member, I am informed that Mr. Papoutsis made it clear at the time that he was speaking in a personal capacity.