§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the optimum mechanisms for multi-lateral environment projects, with particular reference to Finnish-Norwegian-USA-UK help to the Murmansk Region and Kola peninsula areas of the USSR, in respect of stabilising and rectifying armamental legacies of the Cold War. [63109]
§ Mr. FatchettWe are concerned about the environmental threat from the nuclear waste from nuclear powered vessels in North West Russia, and welcomes all initiatives which address the issue. The size of the problem is such that a multilateral approach offers the best chance of making an impact. The Government are working with international partners on tackling the problem, for example helping the Russian nuclear regulators with technical expertise to license waste storage casks. We also organised a seminar on 3 December to bring together all the interested parties, from Russia and other countries, from across Whitehall, and from British industry, to discuss the way forward.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to assist the UK nuclear industry to expand its bilateral funding to cover nuclear waste management and decommissioning in the Russian Federation. [63108]
§ Mr. FatchettWe have already taken steps to promote what British industry can offer in nuclear waste management by holding a seminar on nuclear waste on 3 December, focusing on North-West Russia and the Urals. The seminar was attended by the relevant Russian authorities, other Whitehall Departments, representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Commission and international partners as well as a specialist cross-section of British industry. It looked at how to take forward nuclear environmental clean-up, an area where the experience and expertise of the UK nuclear industry has much to offer.