§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 9 December 1997,Official Report, column 528, if she will set out the material balance areas and particular safeguard provisions covering MOX nuclear fuel which are covered by the Euratom safeguards. [22346]
§ Mrs. RocheAt present, mixed oxide fuel (MOX) is manufactured in the United Kingdom at the MOX Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Sellafield. Particular safeguards provisions in which detailed nuclear material reporting requirements for MDF are specified have been agreed with the Euratom Safeguards Directorate. Work to finalise and implement the agreed safeguards approach for the larger Sellafield Mox Plant (SMP) is also well advanced and this work will include preparation by the Euratom Safeguards Directorate of particular safeguards provisions for SMP. An overview of nuclear materials accountancy and safeguards arrangements for SMP was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management in July 1996 (a copy of the paper will be placed in the Library of the House). Details of specific material balance areas and the associated particular safeguards provisions are however classified and controlled for security and commercial reasons.