§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recommendations of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee concerning the treatment of waste at Dounreay in accordance with modern standards, and on the history of how waste particles came to be found over a period of years on the Dounreay foreshore; and if he will make it his policy that there will be regular, independent, and public reviews of progress in the decontamination of the area affected in the vicinity of Dounreay. [29796]
§ Sir Hector MonroAs at present, HM industrial pollution inspectorate and HM nuclear installations inspectorate, in co-operation with the UK Atomic Energy Authority, will be working to ensure that all actions related to radioactive waste and its disposal are carried out in accordance with modern standards.
All the waste metallic particles found near Dounreay were detected as a result of regular beach monitoring carried out by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and a history of the finding of the particles is contained in the joint report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment and the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.
The main recommendations of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee on this matter fall to be considered by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, in co-operation with the regulatory authorities. The Secretary of State will consider the question of how 74W progress on decontamination is to be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the on-going discussions between the operators and the regulatory authorities.