§ Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a list of all construction projects proposed, planned or at present underway at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston and Burghfield following the Health and Safety Executive's recommendations and Hunting BRAE' s review of the infrastructure at the atomic weapons establishments; and if he will make a statement. [26347]
§ Mr. FreemanThe Health and Safety Executive review was primarily directed at safety management arrangements rather than construction schemes. Five such schemes were recommended, however, related to waste management. They were the design and procurement of a mobile real time radiography unit for waste assay purposes; the conversion of an existing building to provide a drum inspection facility for intermediate level waste; the construction of a radioactive waste size reduction facility; the construction of a further intermediate level waste store with modern drum stacking densities; and improvements to the facilities at Aldermaston and Burghfield for handling toxic waste.
142WThese schemes are now in progress in accordance with the timescales that the Health and Safety Executive and the establishments have agreed with my Department.
In addition, the Hunting-BRAE review identified a large number of relatively minor alterations and improvements to facilities, some of which are directed at meeting evolving safety standards.