§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department has taken to date in respect of the RM Consultants report published in 1991 in relation to the Dounreay reprocessing plant; and if he will make a statement. [31207]
§ Sir Hector MonroI have been asked to reply.
RM Consultants were commissioned by the then Scottish Development Department to look at a range of engineering options for the management of radioactive wastes in the Dounreay shaft. Following the publication of that report, HM industrial pollution inspectorate required the UK Atomic Energy Authority to carry out further studies aimed at identifying a clear strategy for the long-term management of that waste. Given the novel nature of the problems that had to be addressed these studies have taken some time and the results are not yet available.