§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantity of radioactive liquid in gallons has been discharged from AWE, Aldermaston into the River Thames in each year since 1980; and if he will make a statement. [51158]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 20 July 1998]: Liquid discharges from AWE, Aldermaston to the Thames are of treated effluent or trade waste of extremely low radioactivity content. All such discharges are made within the limits set by discharge authorisations from the appropriate regulatory body, most recently the Environment Agency, under the terms of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 and Part V of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Limits are set at values which are well below those which would cause environmental impact or significant public risk and are subject to periodic review. In fact, it has been calculated that in a year the radiation dose from AWE's liquid discharges into the Thames via the Pangbourne pipeline to the most exposed individual is the same as that one would receive from eating half a brazil nut.
Discharges from AWE Aldermaston to the River Thames since 1980 are as follows:
734W
Year Discharge/gallons 1980 4,983,000 1981 3,696,000 1982 4,125,000 1983 3,498,000 1984 3,498,000 1985 3,366,000 1986 3,399,000 1987 3,315,000 1988 3,135,000 1989 3,036,000 1990 2,771,120 1991 2,970,000 1992 2,739,000 1993 2,309,340 1994 2,233,660 1995 1,698,180 1996 1,353,000 1997 1,566,840 1998 (to end June) 1,273,360 Details of discharges are published annually in AWE's Environment Safety and Health Report.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the metallurgy division at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, was set up; what is the purpose of this division; how many series of technical papers or reports are currently being produced by this division; and what are the names of each series. [51130]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Metallurgy Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston was set up in 1995. It is now part of the Metallic Materials business area in the Technology Division. Among its purposes are research and development on a range of fissile, toxic and conventional metals, production of certain components in support of research and development, and work supporting the stockpile stewardship of the UK's nuclear deterrent.
One series of technical papers and reports is currently produced by the Metallic Materials business area, namely Director Technology Technical Reports.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer on 25 June 1998,Official Report, column 569, on AWE, Aldermaston if he will place a list of the titles of the 25 reports produced by the Weapon Diagnostic Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the Library, indicating the date on which each paper was produced. [51136]
§ Mr. SpellarI am today placing a list in the Library of the House.