HC Deb 14 January 1997 vol 288 cc231-2W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the arrangements for decommissioning nuclear submarines; and if he will make a statement. [9866]

Mr. Arbuthnot

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Ships Support Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from R. V. Babington to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 14 January' 1997:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the arrangements for decommissiong nuclear submarines as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Ships Support Agency.When a nuclear powered submarine is decommissioned it is defuelled and any non-essential or re-usable equipment is removed. This leaves only a residual amount of intermediate and low level waste within the vessel. The hull is then stored afloat at the location where it was decommissioned pending final disposal of the low level waste to BNFL Drigg, and the intermediate level waste to the deep repository to be developed by NIREX.