§ Lord Actonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the impact of the delay to the Deep Waste Repository on the afloat storage of decommissioned nuclear submarines. [HL919]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)Afloat storage is not time limited and is safe. However, space at Devonport Naval Base and at Rosyth Royal Dockyard is finite and is expected to reach its capacity some years before any Deep Waste Repository may become available. As a result, the MoD is now investigating other options, including interim land storage and other sites for storage afloat. Safety to the public and to the environment will be of paramount importance when considering the way forward.