§ Ms Roseanna CunninghamTo ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions he had with President Clinton on the transfer of nuclear waste from Georgia to Dounreay; and what data the US Government gave him on this material; [46248]
(2) on what dates negotiations took place with regard to the importation of nuclear material from Georgia; on what date it was first discussed that low-grade nuclear material would form part of the consignment; and which UK representatives were involved in these discussions; [46249]
(3) on what date he was notified that 9 kilogrammes of low-grade nuclear waste was included in the consignment of nuclear material brought to Dounreay from Georgia; and what quantity of low-grade nuclear waste was proposed when he agreed to receive the material into the United Kingdom; [46246]
(4) who made the decision to accept the 9 kilogrammes of low-grade nuclear waste from Georgia for reprocessing at Dounreay; when it was made; and which ministers were informed. [46247]
§ The Prime Minister[pursuant to his reply, 18 June 1998, c. 314]: The second paragraph contained a transcription error. This occurred in a section of the paragraph which should have repeated information already in the public domain. A corrected version of the relevant section is set out.
"The Government's prime objective was to remove material of proliferation concern from Georgia. Before the Government made the decision to take the material, we were informed of all relevant issues. Low grade nuclear waste did not form part of the consignment, which consisted of unirradiated and irradiated high enriched and low enriched uranium. As I told the House on 22 April 1998, Official Report, column 818, in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush (Mr. Soley), the intermediate level radioactive waste resulting from reprocessing the irradiated uranium would fill two drums."