Nuclear Material

HC Deb 10 July 1997 vol 297 cc592-3W

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 23 June,Official Report, column 390, on nuclear material, if she will list (i) the quantities of the nuclear fuel imported, (ii) the type of the nuclear fuel imported and (iii) the current locations of the nuclear fuel imported from France. [6987]

Mr. Battle

Nuclear fuel has been imported into the United Kingdom from France only by the UKAEA. One shipment of nuclear fuel was imported from France in 1996. Since details of such imports are operational matters for the UKAEA I have asked the Chairman of the UKAEA to reply directly to my hon. Friend.

Mr. Baker

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much(a) her Department and (b) the research councils have spent on nuclear fusion research for each year from 1985 to date. [6901]

Mr. Battle

[holding answer 7 July 1997]: The Department of Trade and Industry and former Department of Energy have funded fusion research through the Government Fusion Programme managed by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Total expenditure under the Fusion Programme, including contributions to the Joint European Torus project, for each year since the UKAEA's establishment as a trading fund in 1986 is shown below.

Year	£ million
1986–87	23.1
1987–88	22.0
1988–89	24.1
1989–90	24.1
1990–91	21.9
1991–92	20.1
1992–93	16.0
1993–94	16.3
1994–95	15.7
1995–96	15.9
1996–97	12.1

Figures on a comparable basis are not readily available on a year by year basis for the UKAEA's pre-trading fund period. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible with figures for the research council and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Baker

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 23 June,Official Report, columns 390–91, what quantities of (a) surplus and (b) current US fissile materials are present in the United Kingdom. [6781]

Mr. Battle

[holding answer 7 July 1997]: There is no United States owned plutonium or highly enriched uranium held in the UK either by the civil nuclear sector or by the Ministry of Defence.