HL Deb 28 November 1996 vol 576 c28WA
Lord Jenkins of Putney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When aircraft were first permitted to overfly the United Kingdom with cargoes of plutonium for reprocessing here; how many times has it occurred, and whether they will end the practice.

Viscount Goschen

Airlines can only carry dangerous goods (including radioactive material) in United Kingdom airspace provided they have been authorised to do so by the Civil Aviation Authority under the terms of the Air Navigation Order. Authorisations for airlines to carry dangerous goods (including radioactive material) through United Kingdom airspace have been issued, at least, since 1966, at which time the United Kingdom utilised the International Air Transport Association's restricted articles regulations as the regulatory standard for the air transport of dangerous goods (these were replaced, as the United Kingdom standard, in 1983 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO)).

Since 1990 there have been 36 shipments carrying material for reprocessing, of which 16 were internal flights and 20 were from Europe. The shipments were carried out using packages approved by the department as the Competent Authority of the United Kingdom and by the countries of origin, in accordance with current UK legislation and the requirements of ICAO. There are no plans to halt these flights.