§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what tonnage of spent nuclear fuel elements has been reprocessed each year at(a) Sellafield and (b) Dounreay, listing the (i) initial uranium enrichment and spent fuel burn up rate composition and (ii) reactor and country origin, in each case since these plants became operational. [1844]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 2 June 1997]: Reprocessing operations are carried out at Sellafield by British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and at Dounreay by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Since reprocessing operations began at Sellafield nearly 40 years ago, a total of around 40,000 tonnes of spent fuel have been reprocessed. Customers for spent fuel reprocessed at Sellafield are from the UK, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Canada and Italy. Information on the initial uranium enrichment and spent fuel burn up rate composition and reactor origin, 421W since these plants became operational, can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have asked the Chairman of the UKAEA to provide the corresponding information in respect of Dounreay.