HL Deb 31 October 1996 vol 575 cc30-2WA
Lord Jenkins of Putney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the ingredients of the MOX fuel produced at Sellafield for export to Japan and for what purposes is it used in that country.

The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Fraser of Carmyllie)

Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel is manufactured from a mixture of uranium and plutonium. MOX fuel is used to generate electricity in civil nuclear power stations. It would only be exported from the UK under stringent international standards of safeguards and physical protection. The UK and the governments of all THORP' s reprocessing customers are committed to these arrangements, which are designed to protect against theft, sabotage and diversion of nuclear materials. BNFL have not, as yet, made any shipments of MOX fuel to Japan.