§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list all those locations licensed by his Department for the use of radioactive materials; and if he will make a statement. [18368]
§ Angela EagleThere are 40 nuclear licensed sites, which are licensed and regulated by the Health and Safety Executive under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended). As required under Section 6 of this Act, a list of these sites is held by the Department of Trade and Industry and is available for inspection by members of the public. Copies are also available for inspection at the Health and Safety Executive's Regional and other main offices.
In general, radioactive materials and waste are regulated under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (as amended by the Environment Act 1995) and the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985. Under the Radioactive Substances Act, the keeping and use of radioactive material, other than on nuclear licensed sites, must be registered with the appropriate Agency (that is, the Environment Agency in England and Wales, the Scottish 224W Environment Protection Agency in Scotland, and the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland). In addition, the Act also requires that the disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear licensed sites, and the accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste from all other sites, are authorised by the appropriate Agency. Certain classes of users and radioactive material are exempted from some or all of these requirements, by Exemption Orders which are Statutory Instruments made under the Act, or, in the case of certain Ministry of Defence sites, as a consequence of Crown Immunity.
The Environment Agency advise that in England and Wales there are currently in force approximately 5,700 registrations for the keeping and use of radioactive material and approximately 1,100 authorisations for the accumulation and/or disposal of radioactive waste. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency advise that in Scotland about 700 premises are registered for the keeping and use of radioactive material, and about 400 premises are authorised for the accumulation and/or disposal of radioactive waste. The Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service advise that in Northern Ireland approximately 120 sites are registered for the keeping or use of radioactive materials, of which approximately 25 are authorised to accumulate and dispose of radioactive waste.
Applications and certificates for registrations and authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act (except any information specifically excluded by virtue of Section 39(1) of the Act on national security or commercial grounds) are available for public inspection at the area offices of the Environment Agency (in England and Wales); at the regional offices of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (in Scotland); and at the Head Office of the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland. No centrally held list is available. Subject to Section 25 of the Act, the appropriate agencies are also required to provide copies of registration and authorisation certificates and applications to relevant local authorities, which must themselves—subject to the provisions of Section 39(2)—make publicly available the information which they hold.