§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the state of repair of the Chernobyl sarcophagus. [33737]
§ Mr. FatchettThe safety of the Chernobyl sarcophagus is the responsibility of the Government of Ukraine. There is, however, broad international consensus that urgent action is needed to deal with the deterioration of the current structure. A shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) has now been agreed between Ukraine and G7 countries. Its aim is to stabilise the current shelter over the remains of the destroyed Unit 4 at Chernobyl; to remove the danger of a further explosion and finally to construct a temporary confinement to facilitate the removal of the most unstable parts. Implementation of the SIP has already started and efforts to ensure sufficient funding are underway.